Tropical Ceramic Murals

Fiore Tile Works Tropical murals bring the wonders of the tropics to life.  Master ceramic artist David McMahon starts each piece with a detailed design drawing.  Stoneware clay is used as the base material for each piece.  After executing the relief sculpture the piece is divided into sections and carefully air dried for 3 weeks.  After a bisque firing, the piece is glazed.  David develops a custom glaze scheme for each piece, using dozens of custom formulated glaze recipes.  Glazes are powdered minerals that are brushed onto the bisqued sculpture.  Complicating the creation of the artwork is the fact that the glazes do not brush on in their fired color.  What brushes on as blue might fire to a deep red, for example.  Only the tremendous heat of the kiln brings the true glaze colors to life!  The glazed sculpture is mounted in an aluminum or steel frame, bordered in cut stained glass or custom, hand extruded moldings.