Some commissions are about places and some quietly hold years of memory, sunshine, and citrus!

This circular encaustic tile was commissioned to celebrate many holidays spent in Sorrento — a place synonymous with lemons, long evenings, and the simple pleasure of good food shared well. It was designed to become part of something equally personal: a hand-built pizza oven, painstakingly constructed by my client in his own garden.

Some commissions capture more than a likeness — they hold a moment in time, a shared memory and the quiet humour that gets us through it. Donna is one of those pieces.

Created to remember the long pause of lockdown, when park benches became pubs, gardens became restaurants and celebrations were improvised with picnic glasses and good company; this encaustic tile began as a playful idea and became something more enduring: a portrait filled with personality, friendship and gentle rebellion.

When Valentine Clays Ltd approached me with a commission to mark the launch of their groundbreaking new product, LoStone, I knew immediately that this would be a memorable project.

The result is a piece that combines modern craft, heritage technique and a mascot loved by everyone at Valentine Clays.

To mark the centenary of Stoke-on-Trent, I wanted to create something that honoured the city’s heritage… but with a wink. After all, what better way to celebrate 100 years of Stoke-on-Trent being awarded city status than with a lovingly sarcastic ode to its bottle-oven past?

The finished tile is a striking, emotional narrative. For the couple, it becomes a permanent tribute to where they began their journey together and to a milestone that celebrates 20 years of marriage. For anyone who sees it, the tile is a conversation piece, a piece of history and a work of art rolled into one.

Heritage Crafts is widely known for its Red List of Endangered Crafts, a vital ongoing survey that identifies which skills are thriving, which are fading and which are at real risk of disappearing forever. Their work ensures that meaningful, often centuries-old craft knowledge doesn’t vanish quietly but is recognised, supported and passed on.

To highlight this mission, I created two special encaustic tiles inspired by their logo, each one a small tribute to the organisation’s work and to the very craft of encaustic tile-making, itself listed as critically endangered.

Some commissions arrive not just as work, but as milestones — reminders of how far a craftsperson has travelled, and how strongly this tradition is kept alive through shared knowledge. This project is one of those moments.

Every so often, as an artist, a commission comes along that feels unusually meaningful. For our 20th wedding anniversary, I wanted to create something truly personal for my wife. She has adored giraffes for as long as I’ve known her, so crafting a bespoke encaustic tile featuring her favourite animal felt like the most natural, loving thing I could make to thank her for her help and unwavering support.

Sometimes, innovation begins with a small spark of curiosity. These smiley face encaustic magnets started as an experiment; a way to explore new clay recipes, colour combinations and inlay techniques. I wanted to see how traditional encaustic tile making could meet the modern language of emojis in a playful, approachable format.

The result? A cheerful, tactile piece that celebrates both heritage craftsmanship and contemporary design.

My father was an extraordinary maker. His dedication to terrazzo, mosaic, and tessellated pavements quietly paved the way for my own journey into tilemaking. I miss him every day.

This apprentice piece is for him — a tile that carries his legacy forward, honouring the hands that came before mine and the path he set me on.

A client approached me with a request to recreate an original Minton, Hollins & Co encaustic tile, a design that had been part of their period property for generations. One tile had cracked and replacing it with a modern printed imitation simply wasn’t an option.
They wanted authenticity. Craftsmanship. The real thing.

Mystery, intrigue and the art of Encaustic Tile manufacture are deeply intertwined. Our ancestors spent years perfecting the revival of Medieval Encaustic Tiles. Now, I aim to leave my mark on that legacy by creating contemporary examples and innovative designs that honour their origins.

I’d been dedicating most of my weekends and holidays to working for my father since the age of 13. To be around him was magical. When he died, it was a complete loss. I had lost my best friend, mentor and hero at the same time. When the weight of grief became manageable, one thing was clear, I had a duty to not only my father but to all those who had gone before him. I must preserve their legacy.