“I came to mosaics after a few decades in the Marine
Insurance industry. No matter how you view it, insurance is
a negative commodity. Mosaics became a means to counter
the lack of beauty and creativity in my work. Eventually I
wanted to include handmade tiles and so began my study of
ceramics. Now I am fortunate enough to devote all my time
to this endeavor.”
Saundra Warren lives and works in Jingletown, an artists' neighborhood of Oakland,
California. Her home and studio are in an old warehouse located near the Oakland
Estuary. Saundra’s garden is actually very small; there is room only for a few plants,
a fountain or two, a couple of cats....
Saundra makes each tile carefully by hand. The background tiles are cut by knife
from a slab of clay. Leaf tiles are made by impressing leaves into a slab of clay.
Other tiles are press molded or simply hand formed. Once the clay is bone dry, the
edges of the tiles are softened. Sometimes the tiles are painted with underglazes
(birds, flowers, insects). All tiles are bisque fired, stained and/or glazed, then refired
to over 2200 degrees Fahrenheit. This high temperature produces a tile that can
withstand the rigors of harsh and wet weather.
These carefully constructed tiles are then applied to a substratum, grouted and
sealed for further protection from the elements.
Birdbaths, mirrors, benches, sculpture, greenmen and fountains from In Saundra’s
Garden can be found in private gardens around the Bay Area