Wild Fuchsia, Coast Road, Dublin
Wild Fuchsia grow on the Coast Road near where i live in Dublin from April through to the beginning of October. I have a favourite patch just between Dollymount Strand and Clontarf village and during the summer and late autumn I collect their beautiful flowers and use them to create one of my favourite art tiles. It measures 33 x 33 cms approx. and is framed in a Irish manufactured solid wooden box frame and is presented in an undyed cardboard presentation box with the Brookwood Logo.
To make this artwork I roll out white earthenware clay by hand on my work table and cut the slab of clay into tiles. Next I print the fuchsia flowers into the clay, arranging each one slightly differently. When the tile is dry I biscuit fire it to 1000 degrees celsius in my trusty electric kiln. It comes out of the kiln a pure white and then I handpaint it using purples, reds and blues before glazing it. Finally the tile is ready for the final firing, the glaze firing which reaches a temperature of just over 1100 degrees celsius.
As each artwork is based on real foliage they are seasonal, one-offs and totally unique. Artworks may vary slightly from the picture shown.