I have been creating custom work for more than 15 years. This blog takes you inside that process.
How does custom work begin, and what is the creative process between artist & client.
Fri, Jun 10th, 2022 Now that the 5 Questions You Have About Custom Work are answered, here are more details on How the Actual Creation Process Works.
Once you sign on the dotted line and put your deposit down - the real work and fun begins. Each Custom order goes through 7 steps, which take anywhere from 6 to ...
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Sat, Mar 5th, 2022 You don't have to be an artist to put an art mark on your home. Join ceramicist Brenda McMahon in a collaborative Artful Address project. Here's how it works:
You select an image, choose your size and colors and then collaborate with Brenda to create your address. Then, you get to watch the address come to life with photos of the ...
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Wed, Jul 29th, 2020 This commission was really fun! My friend and client, Diane, has worked with me before and always gives me great freedom in my designs. This project was no different.
Diane has a beautiful home on Snell Island in St. Petersburg, and she has, as many Florida residents do, herons and egrets all around her home. When we approached the project ...
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Thu, Jan 9th, 2020 Art starts in so many places. This commission began with a game of Pickleball, months of conversations, developing a friendship and then an invitation to my Gulfport, Florida Art Gallery. It was then that Richard and Gina saw what I do when I'm not rushing toward the net with my racket. I shared my ceramic mural work - and ... read full article →
Fri, Aug 9th, 2019 SO, YOU LOVE THE IDEA OF WALL ART, BUT YOU JUST DON'T SEE THE RIGHT PIECE. Do you wait for me to create it - or do you ask me to create a piece 'just for you'. And WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
If you've met me at an art show, saw my work in the ...
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Thu, Nov 15th, 2018 I have done kitchen backsplash tiles and shower insert tiles, but this is the first fireplace surround project I have completed.
Though I have had many requests and inquiries for fireplace tiles, no one made a commitment til David & Becky did.
It's been a full project schedule. First, there was a home viewing and conversations about concepts. I drew a few ...
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Mon, Nov 12th, 2018 One of my favorite parts of custom work is being able to go back to a piece I love and re-create it with a new vision.
That was the case with this commission that Steve & Nancy asked me to do for their Michigan condo.
The Bodhi Tree is full of movement and life, the carved leaves, a strong line of stones ...
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Tue, Jun 19th, 2018 This story begins at an art show in Sarasota, Florida. Darby was pulled into my booth by the wall work and expressed interest in the pieces that included stones and glass.
She loved its organic nature, so soft and yet filled with bold textures. She had been looking for a piece for her dining room wall, the most prominent ...
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Fri, Feb 16th, 2018 This commission begins with a story told by a grandfather to his granddaughter back in rural Ohio. As Karen told me, her grandfather grew up in Mesopotamia, OH in the 1920’s, and in a rare personal sharing, told her this story.
As a boy, he would go to a neighbor’s farm after school to help a woman tend ...
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Mon, Oct 9th, 2017 This project had a few passages of its own. I met Steve and Nancy at the Boston Mills Art Festival in the summer of 2017. After walking the whole show, they decided they wanted to work with me on creating a wall sculpture for the new addition to their home. Steve said, 'it's for the end of ... read full article →
Sat, Aug 12th, 2017 This story began in West Palm Beach, Florida in March of 2017. I met Peter and Lauren at an art show on the last day and they shared how much they enjoyed my work. "Do you make custom pieces?", Peter asked. 'I sure do,' I responded. I'll be in touch," he said. And sure enough, ... read full article →
Sat, Aug 12th, 2017 This is a story of less is more. Some custom pieces are filled with details, conversations and photo exchanges.
This story was short and direct. Trish saw my mural 'Thru the Golden Valley' and wanted that piece, sized up. She wants the same colors and same feel, just large enough to fill the backsplash of her kitchen. ...
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Fri, May 19th, 2017 Picture this: you’re traveling through a foreign land, traversing its rolling hills and small towns and you come upon a small bay where you stop for lunch. This is an adventure of a lifetime, you are halfway across the globe from where you were born.
Everything is alive, different & new. Your experiences, the language, and the culture ...
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Mon, Apr 17th, 2017 How art is collected always intrigues me. I meet people from all over the country and everyone goes about acquiring and collecting differently. Some people meet me fully intending to add art to their homes, while others fall in love with a piece or an idea and find themselves owning a new art piece without planning ... read full article →
Thu, Mar 2nd, 2017 I travel across the country to art shows and though I am a full-time ceramic artist, I often refer to myself as an Art Farmer. I say this because I plant 'art seeds' everywhere I go. Like a farmer, I never know which seeds will take or how quickly they will germinate. Some sprout right ... read full article →
Mon, Sep 26th, 2016 After returning from a trip to the Grand Canyon, where I spent 6 days white water rafting and then hiking to the south rim, I was inspired by so much of the texture in that ancient cavern. The stones and the score marks, the scrapes, gouges and chattering of rocks that occurred millennia ago are recorded permanently on the ... read full article →
Wed, Jul 6th, 2016 I am celebrating my 21st year as a full-time ceramic artist. When I first decided to make a go of it - I honestly never thought I'd get this far. It's not that I didn't think I would 'make it' - I just couldn't imagine how it would look.
As we all know, success does not happen in a ...
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Fri, Jun 17th, 2016 I meet scores of people at art shows across the count; from Florida to Texas -- Colorado to New York and everywhere in between.
Once you've seen my work and know the 'feel' of the dimensional wall art - you'll know if it's right for your home. Though I can often come for a home visit, the beauty of the ...
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Sat, Jun 11th, 2016 With each new client I am brought on a journey into their world and aesthetic. I am invited to create an art piece that beautifully matches their home and their style while it expresses something they are drawn to but cannot find anywhere else.
I met Kathie & Andy at Sarasota's St. Armands Art Festival this past January. They ...
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Mon, Apr 18th, 2016 This is the quintessential story of never really knowing where a conversation will lead! I acquired the most delightful puppy two years ago. Ty, my beloved rescue dog selected me to be his owner while I was in San Antonio, TX doing an art show. Though I love dogs, I was in no way looking for one...but ... read full article →