If any of you follow my personal blog (Sometimes You Get So Confused) you know that I have a practice of doing art drop-offs, where I leave art (usually clay) in parks or other places for people to enjoy and if they like, to pick up and take home.

I am working on a small project of tiles to leave out in the world.

I was prompted to do this project by the news that this year’s Tile Festival at the Moravian Tile Works in Doylestown, PA, is cancelled. Every May for the past 10 years or so I have done this show and I will miss participating this year. I felt sad.

I wanted to try something to cheer up people around me even if just a little. And me, too. I always feel better when working on art.

Yesterday, I took some commercially-made 4″ x 4″ terracotta tiles that I had on hand. All I needed to do was come up with their decor, since they are already bisque-fired. I decided to make two series – one with a bird and one with a person’s head. In this way the tiles could be similar but different, in case I set more than one at a location.

I used stencils for the images, flipping them to have the figures face different ways, and then I added individual details.

I colored them with Velvet underglazes. I’m showing them to you with the color on, dry, and ready for the next stage. In the past I have left the tiles unglazed, enjoying the matte surface and the look of the colors. I’ve decided to glaze them just to be doing something different.

Things went fine, except for when I knocked over a bottle of underglaze. Thankfully it was a small one. The amount on the table was about 25% of what went on me or on the floor. Good-bye, Light Red. I will get some more when I have the chance…

When these are done, I will find locations for them, depending on circumstances. I do not have to rush to set them all out at once, I remind myself. Let everything go as it goes.

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OK, here are the tiles in their current state.