Carrie Talus

All my life I have enjoyed doing art such as sketching, pen and ink drawings, oil painting and ceramics. I first moved to Alaska in 1993 and have spent many summers working in field camps and on research vessels for various different projects. I have been lucky to take part in research on fish populations in Prince William Sound, invertebrates in the Bering Sea, the Yukon River salmon fisheries, and on the behavior of killer whales. In 2000, I completed a MS degree in Marine Biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. In 2001 my husband and I moved to northern New Mexico for three years, and this is where I became interested in making tiles. After moving to Juneau in 2003 and the birth of my son Torsten in 2004, I have been learning printmaking techniques through classes at UAS and I enjoy making relief prints and silkscreen prints of marine life as well. I am inspired by the natural world and love the intricate details and beauty of marine life such as sea anemones, rockfish, and sea stars.

Each tile I make is an original. I look at photos and identification books to first draw the animal. Then I paint each tile with low-fire glaze and fire it in a kiln. I especially enjoy doing invertebrates such as squid and octopus. I often put the scientific name of the species on the tile as well because I like the idea that people can learn the genus and species every time they look at the tile! I also take orders for unframed tiles for people who want to put multiple tiles into a bathroom or kitchen.

Carrie Talus, 

2960 Glacierwood Dr., Juneau, AK 99801

Email:     carrie@talus-and-heavner.com

Website: www.talus-and-heavner.com/tiles