First steps... Start with the concept.

Our process usually follows two paths... but no matter the path, each piece is made carefully with love.  One is the Custom path, where we talk with a customer and work to understand who or what is important to them. What was their loved one's favorite past time? Where was their favorite place to spend time? What was their favorite animal or color? We understand that as an urn, this will be the person's (or pet's) final resting place and want it to represent that individual.  After understanding who the person was, we design the piece, whether it is an urn, memorial plate, or art gallery piece, based on their story.  

The second path is one where we create the story ourselves and just take joy in the process of creating something beautiful.  We regularly take inspiration from our Coloring Book for Gallery Art Plates and we use our friend's and family's pets as inspiration for Pet Memorial Plates.  We even use our own pets, Gorgeous and TooTall for regular inspiration!  For our Urns, we enjoy just creating and seeing what happens! Our gallery is a good place to see our Urn Styles: Themed and Elegant. Since these pieces are not "custom" made, we work to help find these beautiful ​pieces a home that appreciates the care that went into it's creation. 

Once we have determined if our piece is custom or not, we determine which piece we will be making.  Plates and Tiles are created differently than Urns and Vases. ​​

​Each urn (or memorial plate created here at Ceramic Tatoo Art), though unique, follows the same long process. A process that takes a minimum of 4 hours of hands-on work over the course of four weeks.  The rest of the time involves a lot of waiting for the clay or paint to fully dry.  

 Next Steps: the Actual Process Starts with Throwing Pottery!

We use low fire white clay for each item we create.  Before we can take the first step in shaping an urn or memorial plate, we have to mix our clay through a process called wedging.  This involves kneading the clay to help remove air bubbles or extra moisture to ensure it fires properly later in the process.  

​The process begins with "Throwing" - shaping a pot or urn through turning and twisting the raw clay on a Potter's Wheel.  We use a Clay Boss!

Trimming Pottery

​After the clay has set for at least 12 hours, the trimming processes can begin.  This step allows for the removal of excess clay and gives more detail to the general shape of the pot.  This includes shaping the base of the ceramic urn to fit on it's future wooden base as well as shaping the rim of the urn for it's future lid.  

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Etching, Carving and Tattooing!

The third step is carving.  This is where we use our tattoo machine, among other tools, to etch our chosen design into the ceramic surface.   

The process has only just begun!  We still have to sand the urn to ensure a nice, smooth surface and continue to dry the piece for an additional week to ensure there is no more moisture in the clay.  

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Carving the Tribal Mask Plate

Finishing Up!

Once a week at minimum has passed, the urn is placed in the kiln to be fired.  This can take a day because of the process of warming up the kiln, heating it to the required temperature to fully "cure" the clay, and then cooling the kiln down so it is safe to remove the cermic pieces. 

Once the piece has been fired once, it is glazed and then fired again!  

​After the piece has been sprayed, it is cleaned and prepped for painting detailed color.  Painting happens and the last step to the finished piece is one more layer of glaze!  

​Whew!  That was a long (but fun) process!  We enjoy every step of creation and actually find it theraputic in nature.  We a firm believers in the benefits of meditation, creativity, and therapy for an individual's well-being and this is part of our daily therapy.  It gets us away from the chaos of the internet and media.  It allows us to zone-out, tune out the world, and focus on the process of creating something that will be cherished by one of our customers.  

The last step in the process is photos.  We make sure to document each piece for our portfolio which we share on our website and social media pages.  If you are interested in seeing more of the process, we regularly update our Facebook and YouTube channel.  If you are more interested in the finished pieces and what is available for sale, check out our Gallery and our Etsy Store.  

See Inside the Studio!

Ceramic Tattoo Art is a small operation with big plans to grow this year.  As the owner and artist, I live and work in my studio.  When I am not working the studio, I am at trade shows and events meeting people, potential clients and helping the local homeless in anyway I can.  

Because the process takes so long, pieces are made in batches and rotated according to the stage in the process and available space in the studio.  For example, we will throw a bunch of urns for a day or two and set those aside for drying.  While those are drying, we work on etching a previous batch of urns or plates. We wait until there are multiple pieces ready for the kiln to avoid excess energy use and to avoid uneven heating. If there are pieces to be painted while others are still in the drying phase, we paint those and get them finished.  

We hope you can see that though the process may be simple, each piece requires great care.  We have fun at Ceramic Tattoo Art, but we also cherish our customers and want you to know how important you are to us.