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Tile style-Renowned Missoula artisan crafts small masterpieces at David Regan Tile

Taking a shower at Tim Gordon’s Missoula home can be like stepping into a secret garden of ivy.

Though it is an average-sized tub/shower, the walls are covered with embossed tiles that are the deep green color of a summer leaf. Each tile has an ivy pattern, and they come together to create one large, three-sided wall of flora.

By JILL FITZSIMMONS for the Missoulian

"The way (the tiles) fit together, it gives the effect of looking in a terrarium," says Gordon.

Local artist David Regan, the owner of David Regan Tile, http://www.davidregantile.com is the man who created this retreat for Gordon. Regan, who’s been making decorative ceramic tiles for the home for two years, describes a tile made from his hands as more like a small wall painting than anything else.

"I think that the tiles I make are art," he says. "Whereas, (manufactured tiles) are just a wall covering material."

It’s easiest to describe Regan’s tiles as a three-dimensional picture that pulls its viewer in. Though the embossed tile is smooth and glasslike, there is depth and detail in each one. Regan uses rich colors, such as leaf green, Mediterranean turquoise and plum, that are unusual in most other bathroom and kitchen tiles. So to hold one of the tiles is much like holding a miniature painting.

"His artwork transcends being tile," agrees Gordon, an art dealer and art appraiser.

Born in Buffalo, N.Y., Regan earned a master’s in fine arts degree at Alfred University in 1990. He came to Montana as a young man in the 1980s to attend the Archie Bray Foundation, a Helena ceramic arts studio. He liked Montana so much, he made the Big Sky home.

Most people unfamiliar with Regan’s name would never guess that this is an artist whose sculptures bring in thousands of dollars. You wouldn’t know that the work of the unassuming 39-year-old is in the permanent collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Regan didn’t offer up that bit of information during an interview. It was Gordon who spoke of the national, and now international, recognition Regan’s artwork has drawn.

Regan has been sculpting teapots and soup tureens, or vessels, for more than 20 years. The pieces have been shown in many galleries, including the Garth Clark Gallery in New York and the Frank Lloyd Gallery in Santa Monica, Calif. His work is in numerous public and private collections.

Although not everyone can afford to buy one of Regan’s sculptures, they can afford to buy a tile, Gordon says. "To think you can go out and get a David Regan original for $20 is mind-blowing," he says. "It’s a golden opportunity for anyone who collects art."

Regan says the tiles are his way of returning to his roots. During the early part of his career, Regan’s interest was in utilitarian pottery – cups, bowls, plates and such. Art that has a utilitarian purpose is used on a daily basis, so it is both beautiful and functional, he says. Today, Regan’s sculptures have become more collectible but less functional.

"Tile provides me with a chance to make utilitarian objects that enrich people’s daily life," he says.

The tile is also a chance for him to indulge in color again, says Regan, who will be teaching a tile class this summer at the University of Montana. His sculptures are done in black and white. The tiles come in six colors, all made from recipes of colorants and glazes that Regan has refined over the past couple of years. Most tile manufacturers don’t use the rich colors Regan does. Many stick to what the artist describes as "lobotomy beige."

"People should have the option to use these great colors," says Regan, whose tiles were featured more than a year ago on the Home and Garden Network’s "Modern Masters" series.

Regan makes the tiles by pressing clay into premade molds he designed. The clay is then sanded, glazed and fired twice at 2,300 degrees. Most commercial tiles are fired at a lower temperature and so do not have the durability of his tiles, he says.

The tiles, which are often used as accent pieces but can cover an entire surface, come in several designs, the ivy being the most popular. Among the patterns are water, vine, lily and oriental wave. Regan also makes a seashore and pond life backsplash set, as well as borders and picture tiles. One color of glaze is used on a tile; however, the various thicknesses of color give the tiles their dimension and contrast.

The tiles are most often used in bathrooms and kitchens; however, customers also have bought them to put around a pool area, a deck or over an archway. They are versatile enough to be used in concrete or rock; the contrasting wetness of the glaze and the dry stone make for a beautiful look.

"It’s the kind of artwork that illuminates even the most mundane," says Gordon, who plans to incorporate the tiles into his garden area.

The tiles, sold at Splash in downtown Missoula and at the Web site http://www.davidregantile.com, are spendy compared to something that might be bought at a hardware store, Regan says. A 6-by-6-inch tile is $21.50. However, the tiles last longer, clean up easier and add a piece of art to any room, he says.

"Most new-home construction seems to focus on speed and size – build it quick and build it big. I wonder how many new houses being built today will be around in 100 or 200 years?" he asks. "If you consider some of the beautiful old buildings in Europe, they are still around not only because they were built well, but also because they look good and are worth preserving."

http://missoulian.com/articles/2003/05/12/athome/hg01.txt

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