About Fay Jones Day

I am Fay Jones Day, the artist who makes the tiles that you see on this website. I also make and maintain the website, answer your emails, and pack up the tiles and samples to ship out. I live and work in Corvallis, Oregon. I live with my husband, artist and illustrator Jonathan Day, and our cat Jennie.

Originally from Toledo, Ohio, I have always enjoyed making thing with my hands, but clay has been my favorite medium since childhood. In high school I wanted to be a sculptor, but that was to be delayed for almost 20 years. 1989, I got some clay and started teaching myself to make figurative sculpture. While making sculpure, I discovered that I really enjoyed surface decoration, and I changed to making tile in 2000.

Soon after, I was introduced to the Arts and Crafts movement. My daughter asked me to make tiles for her classic Bungalow, and about the same time I was also introduced to American Bungalow Magazine. It has been a long time coming, but I have finally found my niche, in making Arts & Crafts tiles. I may not be able to build a house like my father, but I'm very happy to know that my tiles are being permanently installed in people's homes. I love what I do!

One of my tiles is included in Lark Books' 500 Tiles. Member of: The Handmade Tile Association, Local Clay, America Creates, and the Willamette Ceramics Guild.

Artist's Statement

Clay holds a powerful fascination for me. The history of humanity's long and intimate connection with clay, through the ages and throughout the world, is very moving for me. I have always found the experience of shaping clay with my hands and transforming it into an object of beauty and usefulness to be deeply satisfying. I agree with the philosophy of the Arts and Crafts movement, that objects made by hand are inherently better, and should be valued above mass produced goods.

I admire the designs of the artist and craftsman of the Arts and Crafts movement. However, I don't wish to make a living reproducing the work of these artists. The tiles that I make are my original work, not reproductions.

Some of the unique features of my tile are my use of metallic copper glaze in combination with green copper glaze, my signature dimpled background and self-framing in my 6" tiles. Also - I do all the work myself. I offer my tile to a new generation of Arts and Craft enthusiasts, in the hopes that they will enjoy the tiles as much as I enjoy making them.

This web site and its contents are © 2010 Fay Jones Day. All rights reserved.

This website was made on a Mac.