My Mother and I collaborate to produce SoMi Tileworks. The name SoMi is created from the first two letters of the words: South Minneapolis. We live, work, play and enjoy life in South Minneapolis, which is also where our ceramic studio is located.
Norma began as a professional artist more than thirty years ago when she began throwing pots while raising three kids. She grew in her artmaking through many classes at the University of Minnesota where, in 1980, she completed a Masters of Fine Arts degree in painting.
I graduated from Kansas State University in 1996, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design. After graduation I began working in clay with my Mother where I returned to my roots, playing with clay in my Mother's studio as a child. I have learned most of what I know about ceramics from my Mother.
Norma and I have had a fun time working and bringing our two styles of art together. Norma works in more of a loose painterly style and my work is much more rigid and symmetrical. We play off of each others strengths. You can really see both styles come out in our work.
SoMi Tiles are created by pressing a coarse white clay body into original plaster molds that we have created over the years. Our ideas are endless as our work is ever changing. The tiles are hand glazed and fired to a stoneware temperature of 2140 degrees (cone 4).
