Native Tile and Ceramics began manufacturing tiles in October 1990. We occupied a small 500-square-foot shed in a boat-building yard in Marina Del Rey, CA. It was a charming studio where a lot of our activity and life centered around boat builders. The builders were always curious about what the tile-makers were doing. Falling prey to development, the boatyard was converted into a parking lot and our little family in the yard was scattered all over Southern California. After much searching, Native Tile settled in industrial Old Torrance in 1998. We converted a 1940s stucco house with a detached garage on a good-sized property into a very comfortable new home for Native Tile. Currently Native Tile has eight employees who help to create our handmade decorative ceramic tiles.
Through my textile education at UCLA, I became very interested in pattern, both historical and contemporary. While studying ceramics, I became very fascinated with glaze technology. I was challenged by the technical process of wanting a certain color and texture and through endless testing finally getting the desired effect. My classes on color theory were also extremely beneficial in helping me to develop a more sensitive eye for color.
Growing up in the Los Angeles area of California, I couldn’t help but be inspired by the many old tile companies such as Malibu, Catalina, Batchelder, Claycraft, D&M, and Taylor. So, through my education and inspiration I strive to create a style of tile that is reminiscent of the old but at the same time incorporating my own sensibility and style.
Native Tile creates its tile using many different ceramic processes. We use silk screens to apply the outline of our cuerda seca or resist line patterns to the bisque tiles. The ornate patterns are first hand drawn and then a silk screen is made. After silk-screening the pattern onto the tile, we then hand-apply the liquid glaze onto the tiles filling all of the empty spaces between the lines that serve as a resist to the glaze. The tiles are then fired to about 1850 degrees. All of the glaze colors are created by Native Tile and are unique. We use both gloss and matte glazes and often combine both textures onto one tile. All of our Hispano-Moresque styled tiles are created in this cuerda seca technique. We use our own thicker, pressed bisque tiles as well as a thinner quarry body depending on the application needed.
We also create a Craftsman-style tile line which includes a series of decorative borders and scenes in relief. We produce these tiles by first drawing the image on paper, then transferring the image and carving it onto the master tile. We then make a plaster mold of the master and then press clay into the mold to easily reproduce the intricate relief patterns. We create our field tiles in the same way using plaster molds and pressing each tile. For the Craftsman series we also use our own unique matte glaze colors which we mix at Native Tile. The glazes are applied by layering several colors together to create rich mottled surfaces.
The third style we create is our cuenca or raised-line series. These tiles are kind of a mixture of the two previous styles in how they are made. The outline of the pattern is carved, a mold is made, and the tile is hand pressed from the mold. The color is applied by glazing all the spaces between the thin clay line that outlines the pattern. This thin raised clay line separates the colors from each other during firing.
Every stage of our processes is very hands-on and labor-intensive. Everyone at Native Tile has some important role in the creative process of making our tiles. We are all proud of what we make here and that attitude shines through in the quality of our tiles. We have over 700 patterns in the three aforementioned techniques, which we create to order. However, I’m always challenging myself to come up with new patterns, techniques, and colors. Sometimes the inspiration comes from seeing a great old tile somewhere that may be strange or different, so I’m compelled to try to emulate its look. It’s interesting because often through the experimentation process I come up with my own surprises that may lead to a completely different but interesting direction. That’s the beauty of the creative process in ceramics. Sometimes you never know where it’s going to lead you. There are so many technical and chemical variables to keep you challenged and interested.
On a practical note, Native Tiles can be used to adorn just about every architectural surface and space where tile is desired or needed. We create tile for the following applications: border tiles for kitchens, bathrooms, and swimming pools; fireplace surrounds and hearths; floor inserts and rug patterns; tiles for wall and free-standing fountains; doorways, entryways, and stair risers.
We’ve also created custom signage tiles and murals for public spaces where a more unique look was the goal. In addition, we also share our talents with many charity organizations by creating custom donation walls, commemorative tiles, and tiles for fundraising purposes. We love to come up with unique ways to help others in need.
If you’re interested in using Native Tile in your construction plans, please feel free to contact us via telephone or e-mail and we will direct you to the closest Native Tile showroom or distributor. We look forward to working with you in the near future.
Please take a look at the Native Tile Biography here.
Sincerely,
Diana L. Watson
