Story Tiles

There is something satisfying about the surface of glazed tiles. Like reflections on water the glazed surface flickers as it catches light, creating a dreamlike quality. ‘Story Tiles’ are ceramic ‘paintings’ which celebrate the directness of clay. They can be propped up on a shelf, lie flat on a table or hang on a wall, they are objects in themselves, similar to beach stones or shells.

Paper cut stencils are used to build layers of images and create depth through an application of coloured slip. The ‘shadows’ of masked shapes are still visible as imprints. Each Story Tile represents a fleeting memory of birds, plants, people, and boats. The final layer of a ‘cup and saucer’ image is barely discernible but represents the object that holds the ‘story’, similar to a theatre stage ‘framing’ a play. Old china can be a poignant combination of the precious and the intimate, with touches of gold lustre and intricate decoration, chipped with years of use.

While making these tiles I imagined finding them in a old wooden hut, in woodland, near my studio. China is very often the last surviving sign of habitation. Stories and memories reflected in the lustre of glaze.