Vogland
Welcome to my portfolio of work. Anything is possible — any image can be placed anywhere, even if it needs to be durable and permanent.
Handmade ceramic tile art since 1984.
Portfolio of Work
Installations that become
part of the architecture.
Custom Pool Designs
Graphic Reproductions
All of these designs are graphic challenges to the Fine Artist. I try my hardest to present the art in its original conceived context and then add as much of my own abilities to create a trompe l'oeil three-D effect that I can to make it look alive in the pool. This first project was created for the president of Pixar, Ed Catmull. I occasionally get to meet with the elite and what an honor it is when they challenge me with such wonderful images.
The Michelangelo Hands of God and Adam was created for the famous Belgian face reconstruction surgeon Ward Swenden whom was building a get away home in Egypt.
The Polar Bear was created for the Alaskan Excursion expert Linda Walsh. They will take you on a very safe, huge bus, to visit the Polar Bears.
What a great experience it is to meet so many large at heart people, genius' huge in their industry, setting the bar a little higher where ever they go.....
18 works
Welcome to my portfolio of work.
Anything is possible! Any image can be placed anywhere, even if it needs to be durable and permanent. Swimming pools have been an easy target for me.
Take time to think of the ultimate challenge for my tiles. I look forward to interesting ideas or the close to impossible applications. I really get inspired when someone says, “It can’t be done!”
How I make my tile
From concept to clay to the pool.
It was quite an honor to be interviewed by the Home and Garden Channel’s Modern Masters. The video shows the entire process from concept to clay and all the way to the pool — every different thing I do on a daily basis to create designs with my handmade ceramic tile.
- 01
Concept
Original artwork is drawn from the idea, site photos and simple emails.
- 02
Clay & Tile
Every tile is sculpted and fired from raw clay, then shaped to fit together in a free-form design.
- 03
Glaze & Fire
Hand-painting and airbrush techniques bond color to the tile under a translucent outer glaze, then fired at high temperature.
- 04
Template
A hand-drawn template is supplied with every project to ensure proper placement, anywhere in the world.
- 05
Install
Set on tile, plaster, Diamond Brite, Pebble Tec, stucco — any surface that can hold the shadow.
Modern Masters Interview — Home & Garden Channel
Portfolio Categories
Explore by discipline.
- 01Custom Tile MuralsGraphic reproductions, trompe l'oeil pool designs
- 02Dolphin Pool TileDrop shadows, swim-throughs, deep end walls
- 03HonuThe tile turtles — Honu can shadow any surface
- 04Reef, Whales, SharksReef fish, koi, octopus, manta rays, lobster
- 05Flower Tile MosaicHibiscus, orchids, heliconia, trilliums
- 06Kitchen TileBacksplashes, cabinets, bars and bar stools
- 07Home Interior TileStaircases, entryways, fountains, murals
- 08Home Exterior TileGates, decks, buildings, signage
About Robert
Robert Vogland
As with any masterpiece, the “canvas” is the artist's fundamental tool. Since 1984 Vogland sculpts and fires his own tile from raw clay, to ensure the high quality he demands. Envisioning something beyond the grid pattern formed by the square commercial tile, he began shaping individual tiles to fit together in an eye catching free-form design.
A Vogland mural combines the best of painting and sculpture in a work that is dramatic yet eminently functional. The murals come to life in the glazing process: using hand-painting and airbrush techniques, the colored images are bonded to the tile with a translucent outer glaze, then fired at extremely high temperature to permanently fuse pigment and clay. The color is guaranteed not to fade or peel.
Unlike many ceramists, Vogland has mastered the unstable and often unpredictable red glazes and can incorporate this temperamental shade in a subtle accent or a bold splash; it is all up to you.
Robert James Vogland apprenticed under many noted ceramists. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Art and International Business from the University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington. As an artist, he believes in learning one's craft from the ground up, including the technical aspects.
The applications are endless...... Kitchen Back Splash, Bar Back Splash, Artistic Barbecue, Shower Art, Shower Floor Art, Mosaic Tile Artistic Head Board, Mosaic Tile Bureau, Mosaics for Gates, Mosaic Tile Cabinets, Mosaic Tile Entryways, Mosaic Tile Signs never fade.
Commission
Let's Create Something Permanent.
Share as much or as little as you know. Every commission begins with a conversation.