At one time, ceramic tile was only for the wealthy, but no more. Today, for the same price as manufactured cast resin, imitation marble, or other polymer, you can own a one-of-a-kind piece of fine art, hand-painted by an American artist who is willing to work with your ideas and concepts.
Suppose you love flowers and plants, but the wall over your kitchen sink has no window. Simply tell the artist your favorites and she will paint your favorite ferns or perennials, in a basket or within its own little garden.
Suppose you moved south and miss your paper birch trees a great deal? A mural over your bathroom vanity featuring these gorgeous white and black trees, with or without surrounding fall foliage, will guarantee a lifetime of the perfect view.
You don't have wall space for a mural? How about attractive accent tiles placed every foot or so featuring your favorite cooking herbs in an 1800's style, straight out of the Farmer's Almanac? Or perhaps an easy-to-clean backsplash behind the kitchen sink depicting fruits connected by flowering vines all in a lively color scheme?
The best thing about ceramic tile is you only have to do it once. You choose timeless and tireless motifs and place them where you need something durable. Side-by-side with gold, ceramic is the most durable substance we know. After all, what else has told us the history of human culture as accurately? Nothing that anyone has come up with can surpass ceramic tile for lasting beauty. Nothing.
Working with a ceramic tile artist instead of a factory has many benefits. Just like you, the artist has sentimental memories and usually does the work she does for other reasons than simply moving out volumes of product for profit, so she is more than happy to fill your space with warm homey decoration.
We all have a favorite old pattern or print, perhaps Grandma's timeless stitching or an old tapestry. But everything eventually wears out and has to be discarded. That is everything except ceramic tile. Have your favorite pattern painted on tile and installed for all time.
Framed paintings do not fare well in steamy bathrooms or close to greasy cook stoves, gathering dust and needing a good cleaning way too often.
A tapestry or rug painted on ceramic tile will hang beautifully inlaid into any wall. In your hallway where people always bump paintings is a great place. Stair risers that always get scuffed up can be painted in a myriad of design motifs, like southwestern, Mayan or Aztec, any colorful design, and fill a dull stairway with brilliant color.
Do you work too many hours each week to allow for having pets? A brilliant parrot displayed on the wall in the corner of your living room with colorful feathers shining will welcome you home, making no noise and quietly demanding no food or attention!
No other art medium can display the iridescence and brilliance of tropical bird feathers like glazed ceramic tile. A skilled hand-painter can imitate textures and colored objects from all around the world.
Egyptian hieroglyphics, Mayan stone carvings, and even cave art paintings all look so real in ceramic. Solid blocks of color in modern graphic shapes is the other end of the design spectrum. And as we all know, color makes a very powerful statement!
Please don't feel that you have to use what the home improvement stores offer, such as the dull and unimaginative and fairly plain tiles they sell in volume. Email a hand-painter and she will help you create the only one in the world, a unique piece of fine art that is yours alone. Timeless and elegant ceramic tile decor is only a few weeks away!
About the author:
Dy Witt has been painting with ceramic glaze for 20 years, and doing hand-painted tile for 13 and 1/2 years. Nature themes, exotic wildlife, flowers, and birds, immortalized forever in true ceramic is her chosen specialty and she fully guarantees her work. She also creates tree ornaments from an image of your home or you can copy favorite patterns from tapestries, china, and more. Visit her at www.dyztilz.com.
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