Clay is then compacted into the press with a wooden stick which is also used to scrape off excess clay and level the back of the tile.

After compaction, the tile is popped out of the press and carefully peeled from the plaster floor.

Voila! Next, edges are smoothed and squared and the formed tile is placed on a drywall board.

Plaster molds are required for the high relief tile and are made from an original hand carved tile. Custom designs may be requested, requiring a new plaster mold. Custom molds take an additional two-three weeks to make and dry properly before use.

Wet porcelain clay is pressed into the plaster mold and the excess is removed. The clay in the mold shrinks as its moisture is absorbed by the plaster, allowing the tile to be released. On a typically dry Colorado day, eight to ten tile can be formed from each mold.

Pressed tile are placed on drywall boards, stacked and partially dried, generally for five to six days.

Tiles are placed on mesh shelves to complete the drying process. This can take up to several weeks for the thicker high relief tile. Hurrying the process results in warped tile-the bane of a tile makers existence!

Years of trial and error in the glaze room produce unique and interesting glazes. All of my glazes are handmade from materials gathered from around the world. Due to changes in the location and mining of these materials, subtle variations can be expected.