Life's a Beach Party

BEACH THEMED CERAMIC TILE COASTERS

 We have had a few boxes of beautiful 4 x 4 inch Spanish tile, left over from our home renovation years ago, gathering dust in the attic. Since I knew we wouldn't need to save all of them I decided to recycle and re-decorate a few with whimsical beach themed designs. The designs are hand drawn and painted with non-toxic, lead-free glazes then fired in my kiln.  The coaster sets are perfect for indoor or outdoor parties, to give as gifts or for adding a pop of beachy freshness to a kitchen or bath.  Please click on the images for more information or to place an order.

 Beach Party Ceramic Tile Coasters

Beach Party tiles include a palm tree, surfboard, sand bucket and seahorse.  They were painted with apple green, turquoise, yellow and blue glazes.

Surf Bus Ceramic Tile Coasters

Surf bus coasters were painted with teal, apple green, pink turquoise, black and white glaze colors.

Jeep and Surfboard Ceramic Tile Coasters

Surf Jeep coasters painted with red, teal, blue and yellow glaze colors.

Classic Woodie Surf Coaster Set

I love the classic design of a Woodie! These were painted with apple green, turquoise, red, teal and brown glazes.

Vintage Camper Ceramic Tile Coaster Set

Vintage campers are so cute - especially in the coastal colors of turquoise, pink, blue and apple green.

Won't you join me in welcoming the warmer days and longer nights of summer - let's throw a beach party!  Feel free to add a link to your favorite beach and surf themed party items. 

Shout out

I just wanted to send out a huge thank you to convey my appreciation for recent spotlights on my beach inspired art work.  The following curated treasuries and blog posts were a complete surprise and highlight the generosity of the curators and authors.

Treasuries

Treasuries are a compilation of art work curated around a theme.  To add a comment or to receive more information on the treasury or a particular item of interest, simply click on the theme titles or art work images.

Thank you to Darou


Thank you toSchapedokter


Thank you to TheBlueLattern


Thank you to ChicRetro


Thank you to IslandGirlPottery


Thank you to RCTees


Thank you to SearchandRescue


Thank you to Bourge

Blog Posts 

Thank you to OrangeLadyBird for featuring my Swimming Pool Dive painting here:  Things I do: Swim

And to BrilliantModernArt for featuring my Original surf bus painting here: Share the Love Friday

And finally to Maya over at the always lovely Completely Coastal Blog for featuring our sweet kitty Roxie and my tiny beach paintings here:  Soul Surfer, Titanic and Haiti all in one post.

Student Spotlight - Women who art

For this weeks Student spotlight I take you on a field trip to the nature inspired landscapes of artist Mary Pat Harris as she overcomes her apprehension of painting water scenes.   Her highly detailed landscape paintings are a showcase for the exuberance of nature and a testament to her artistic development and  vision.

"HERON"

Her first water-scape, "Heron", was inspired by an image Mary Pat found in a magazine.  Her images tend to focus on the the lively colors and patterns created in our natural environments.  Recreating this energy and joy are what Mary Pat is continually striving for in her paintings.

In this particular piece she was able to capture the dynamism and movement of windblown marsh grass through her exploration of color and texture. 

A limited color palette of green, yellow, blue, and pink creates a vibrant and cohesive composition. Here Mary Pat depicts the reflective quality of pond water by adding tints of white to the same palette used on the marsh grass. 

Mary Pat's finished painting, given to her sister-in-law as a gift, is a joyful recreation of color, space and movement found in our waterside ecosystems.

CAPE CHARLES

The inspiration for her second water inspired painting, "Cape Charles", came from a photograph taken by Mary Pat.  The image, a view from her brother's new home looking out towards the bay, once again illustrates her enthusiasm for our natural surroundings.

"Cape Charles" proved to be a challenge championed by Mary Pat's desire to capture the natural light of the outdoors.  The idea of light being color helps her recreate a cloud covered sky and its reflective qualities on the water below.

The interplay of light and shadow, line and color, and ultimately the amazing design of the natural world proved to be a test of her newly discovered painting talent.

Working to confront these issues with diligence and friendly class critiques, Mary Pat ultimately conquered the scenic outdoor view of Cape Charles.

Mary Pat used paint to describe her brothers view in an impressionistic fashion, bringing it alive with a masterful use of light.  Given as a gift to her brother, this painting is a true demonstration of Mary Pats determination and of her growing development as an artist.  I continue to look on in amazement!