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Norma Hanlon and Kirsten Hanlon Walstead, SoMi Tileworks artists, We are a mother and daughter team who collaborate to produce handmade tiles under the business name, SoMi Tileworks. |
The name SoMi is created from the first two letter of the words, South Minneapolis. We live, work, play and enjoy life in South Minneapolis, which is also where our ceramic studios are located. Our tile designs are based on life as we know it. Life is filled with whimsy and good times spent with friends and family and represented by our coffee and tea cup tiles. |
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Life is also spent with beautiful things from the natural world including flowers, fruits and vegetables, birds, bugs, fish, animals, trees and celestial elements. We use these symbols of nature and also of personal relationships in our tile works.
Norma began as a professional artist more than thirty years ago when she started throwing pots while raising three kids. She grew in her art making through many classes and at the University of Minnesota where, in 1990, she completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting. |
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Kirsten graduated from Kansas State University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design. After graduation she began working in clay with her mother creating clay fish replicas, the forerunners of the SoMi handmade tiles. She returned to her childhood roots of playing with clay in her mother's pottery studio. Kirsten and Norma have a fun time working together and bringing their two styles of art together. Norma works in a more loose painterly style and Kirsten's work is much more rigid and symmetrical.
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They play off each others' strengths. You can really see both styles in their combined 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. Our tiles are hand glazed and fired to a stoneware temperature of 2140 degrees F. (cone 4). Our tiles are very durable and can be used indoor and outdoors.
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We specialize in creating custom tile designs to enhance personal decor ideas and living spaces. We invite you to enjoy our ceramic tile designs and tile murals. We hope they remind you of the important things in life.
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