"Joyful spirit and
Colorful composition."
Better Homes & Gardens, Home Products Guide, Fall/Winter 1994
Letter from Cristina
The year 1994 was the year that I saw my
first work of art (my hand painted ceramic tile mural) on a magazine cover . Albeit, it was only
about two or three square inches, nonetheless, it was enough to
send me all over town buying every copy of the magazine I could
find, sending them to my friends & relatives. I was sure I
was going to be famous (and rich)!
Though I have yet to walk down any red
carpet, I was to learn that though I was on the road to
success, for me the road is more often a maze than a straight
shot to the Emerald City. And, I was surprised to find that (as
I matured) my inner picture and description of "success" kept
changing too.
All these years later, I've discovered that
my calling to be an artist is a rich and complex gift.
I began creating ceramic
tiles in 1991. I had just finished a two-year stint as a
lettering and mural artist for an outdoor advertising
(billboard) company, and was teaching college art classes in
the evenings. I was so sickened by the substances I used in the
billboard work, that I couldn't comfortably oil paint.
Implementing a friend's suggestion, I switched to
painting on ceramics. Completing a series of images, I sent
them to the Ann Sacks Tile & Stone store in Portland,
Oregon. Kohler Plumbing Industries had just
purchased the store as the flagship for a national chain and I
found myself serendipitously in the tile business!
I quickly joined a business class, bought a
kiln and learned about the ceramics business. After selling art
tile with AST&S for several years, I branched into
other retail venues, eventually teaming up with a tile
manufacturer and supplying my Cristina Acosta® Signature
line of ceramic tile to Home Depot stores, among others.
My career as
an artisan tile maker lasted about ten years, including a
sideline making tabletop pieces such as pitchers, bowls and
platters. Though I no longer do production work, I create some
projects
for how-to articles in books and
magazines and for my home design projects.
I've included some pictures of my tile
work. You may recognize it.
Ceramic tile & tabletop designs are for sale for licensing by manufacturers and
direct-to-market retailers. Editors and Publishers can commission Cristina for ceramic/tabletop
feature articles. Contact Cristina with your proposal.
