Laurie Spugnardi | Design

Art in the Park 2010, Mill Creek South Portland

Laurie — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:14:12 +0000

It’s Art in the Park time! Lot’s of local artists will share their work and lots of locals will stroll through. I’ll be there with a good selection of framed art tile and ceramics like my tide clock and Casco Bay Tray.

My friend Suzanne Drown will also have her booth set up. She does amazing batik and watercolor paintings. Be sure to visit one of my favorite booths… a tent featuring student (k-12) art which was curated by art teachers to show the variation and depth of arts education in our public schools. Inspiring and in some instances, puts the rest of us to shame. Did I mention the awesome food vendors set up for hungry art lovers and a tent where kids can make their own art?

See you there! find it on the map
Saturday, August 14, 2010
9 to 5
Raindate: Sunday the 15th

Keeping Casco Bay Blue, One Tile at a Time

Laurie — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:20:09 +0000

THAT’S ME, IN THE LOWER LEFT CORNER.

MY DOG, SARA, FROLICKING ON WILLARD BEACH IN CASCO BAY.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly, about the animals and humans who inhabit the gulf waters and its coast. It breaks my heart to think what they are going through. I was trying to imagine if my bay became the victim of an oil spill. I live on Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. I love this bay and it would be devastating if 174 million gallons of crude (or anything for that matter) took over the waters. This is where a big chunk of Maine works and plays… not to mention the visitors who spend their summers and dollars here. Maine is not a rich state, but it is known for its beautiful and bountiful coast. We rely on these waters for just about everything. Anyway, like I said, I love this bay and want it to remain part of what makes Maine… The Way Life Should Be. (That’s what it says on the really big sign as you enter our state from New Hampshire.)
So, here’s to keeping Casco Bay blue! To that end, I will be donating a portion of every sale from my Casco Bay Tray to the good folks at Friends of Casco Bay.

5% of all sales will be donated to Friends of Casco Bay. Visit their site for other ways to enjoy the bay and to keep it blue!

The bay is represented in a watery and reflective blue while the coast and islands are a mat and earthy green. Each tile is hand drawn, glazed and then kiln fired. Slight variations in line and glaze color will occur. The tiles are grouted into a sturdy, handled tray and ready for serving on deck (or your back deck). 13 5/8″ square, 2 5/8″ at handle, 4 lbs

Price: $125 +5% sales tax
Domestic shipping: $15
Order your tray today for 4 to 6 week delivery. Email Me (or lauriespugnardi@gmail.com)
Keep the bay blue and spread the blog. Thank You!

Beyond the backsplash! Free the Tile!

Laurie — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:36:52 +0000

I love this article!

The master material: Unexpected uses for ceramic tile in the master suite

It gets people thinking about tiles as an alternative to paint and wallpaper for their walls. It also moves tile from the kitchen and bath and into other rooms in the house which is perfect for my glazing technique! My wax resist process allows for bright colors and touchable textured surfaces but leaves exposed tile… not so good for wet areas.

Here are some other photos I have found to get folks thinking outside the box!

Room accent tile in a modern setting.

Tile mosaic wall.

p.s You would not believe how hard it was to find images of tile NOT in the bathroom or kitchen to share with you. Free the tile!

Bubbly Bathroom Mirror Free-Form Mosaic

Laurie — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:00:04 +0000

BATHROOM MIRROR FREE-FORM MOSAIC

I recently finished up a project in my bathroom. I had a vision of sparkling, sea green bubbles and lots of movement as a decorative accent to an otherwise very white room. I could have done something in the standard square tile format but I’ve always wanted to create a free-form mosaic and thought this would be the perfect opportunity. What’s more flowing than water and bubbles!? I purchased and inserted a few round mirror tiles that mimic the “floating” vanity mirror. They also add movement and pick up colors from other areas of the bathroom. I’ve included a few process photos below.

PRODUCTION: ROLLING, CUTTING AND DRYING CLAY TILES

TILES: BISQUED TO CONE 04

TILES: GLAZED WITH MY SECRET SEA-FOAM RECIPE AND FIRED TO CONE 05

TILES ARRANGED AND ADHESIVED TO WALL

FREE-FORM MOSAIC: DETAIL

Boston Museum of Science: Mathematica

Laurie — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:00:05 +0000

One of the delightful parts of parenting is that you get to go on adventures you may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience. We go to the Museum of Science every couple of years with our kids and it is a different experience each time. Not just because some of the exhibits change, but because the kids change. They absorb the same information in an entirely different way at each stage of their cognitive development. Me too.

My favorite exhibit is Mathematica. It was designed by Charles and Ray Eames (of chair fame) and manages to make math, kind of, well… fun. Have you ever tried to wrap your head around how a Mobius Band works? Trippy.

The exhibit is loaded with interactive fun, while showing how math is the basis for art, architecture, music and design. We humans respond to order in our art. As it turns out, beauty has a mathematical formula.
It reads like this:

and it looks like this:

Snapshots from the museum…
Mathematical relationships and their graphic counterparts: Organized doodles!

The Pythagorean Theorem, the Fibonacci Series and the Golden Ratio: Perfection in Proportion.

(left) Network mathematics: Think… the internet or the lymphatic system.
(right) A family of curves satisfying a differential equation. I don’t even know what that means, but it’s much more interesting than my last family portrait.

Fritillaria meleagris and Fashion

Laurie — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:00:43 +0000

One of my favorite spring plants…
If I were a fairy, I would wear the petals as a skirt.

The Diptych Project, part one

Laurie — Wed, 12 May 2010 13:04:46 +0000

I’ve been invited to participate in this years Diptych Project. The Diptyich Project was started a few years ago by New England Wax. This talented group of encaustic artists has been organizing this project for a few years now. Here’s how it works: Artists are paired up and begin making a painting. The paintings are given to their partner who will create a response painting. Each artist will create two paintings. There is only one rule: the size must be 18 x 12. This year, New England Wax has invited mosaic artists to join in the fun. My partner is Kimberly Curry. She lives just over the bridge in Portland, but we’ve never met before. She and I will be switching pieces this week and will begin our response pieces. There are 36 artists (18 encaustic and 18 mosaic) involved in the project which will tour new england galleries later this summer.

This is the piece I will give to Kim. I found inspiration while on a trip to Damarascotta to watch the alewives run. May is spawning time for alewives here in Maine. The fish, which spend most of its life in the ocean, crowd into a narrow fish ladder to make the long journey (for a fish) from the bay up to Damarascotta Lake to spawn. I was mesmerized by the moving pattern of crowded fish. It also happens to be when the poppies bloom. I loved the warm and bright poppies floating in a spring breeze in contrast to the dark layers of wriggling fish in the cold and bubbly water. Good stuff.

Poppy and Alewife, 2010

I look forward to seeing what Kim has made and to start my response piece…

intricate tile in the william morris style

Laurie — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:00:54 +0000

I love William Morris’ wallpaper designs, though I admit, an entire room would make me feel like grabbing the hedge clippers. His wallpaper patterns have a certain quality of texture, line and downright coziness to them that intrigues. Here is my attempt at enhancing those qualities: wax line method to create real 3D texture; the use of matt and gloss glazes to add depth; enlarged and cropped sections to draw attention to motifs and line-work. At this point, I think one tile, simply framed would be lovely to hang on a wall or for use as a trivet. It’s my first go-round with this series and I’m happy enough with the results to keep experimenting. What do you think?

sections of black and white wallpaper, enlarged, transferred onto 6″ bisque tile then overdrawn with black wax (see technique on my hand painted tile page)

crow and flowers, glazed and fired. I captured this photo at an angle to show the use of matt and gloss glazes.

crow and flowers.

grapes and foliage, glazed and fired.

grapes and foliage.

Besides wallpaper, William Morris (and protégé William De Morgan) also designed tile for the home. Here are a few samples of their work.

asian inspired ceramic tile mural: update

Laurie — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:10:35 +0000

Just thought I would load the final installment of the mural I worked on this winter for the Tea Room at Hara Massage and Wellness Center in Falmouth Maine. Visit my recent post of the project in progress. Here are the images of the final in its custom frame by Phil at Shininglass Studio and the mural installed in the tea room.

SoPo Art Studios Opens Its Door

Laurie — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:22:16 +0000

I’m kind of in love with my new space. It’s pretty perfect and getting more so every day. This week we were interviewed for our local newsweekly, The Forecaster, about our venture.
Maggie (my most excellent studio-mate) and I are having a grand opening of sorts this Saturday from 4 to 7. 855 Sawyer St. in South Portland. You should come by and check it out. We’ll have our work on display and will each be donating a piece to a thanks-for-stopping-by-raffle. We’ll also be unveiling a community room for local artists to work, play and teach.
When you come by, be sure to visit The Sandpiper Jewelry and Art Gallery just next door. Owner/jeweler Michael Hofheimer will host an opening for sculptor Allen Ponziani at the same time.