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Makin' It
Maggie DeSanto tile maker

By Katy Barron
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, May 19, 2005

As a fine arts major at the University of Texas, Maggie DeSanto specialized in photography and print making. She was drawn to ceramics but was too intimidated to jump right into it at the college level. So she took a course at Laguna Gloria Art School to test the waters. She needn't have worried. DeSanto discovered her passion and her livelihood in clay. "It was all ceramics after that," she remembers. Today the 43-year-old mother of two is a veteran ceramicist who specializes in making colorful clay tiles at her East Austin studio.

Austin American-Statesman: How did you learn ceramics?

Maggie DeSanto: I had a lot of training in school and then I was a studio assistant with two well-known Austin production potters (Claudia Reese and Sunyong Chung), who introduced me to two very different production styles. They're both amazing, and I was able to learn how to tailor production style to personality. I feel very fortunate that I was able to work for both of them. They were great teachers.

What's your production style?

My production style is that I'm not going to do their production style! They create lines that people place orders from. I work on individual projects and I have a very direct approach.

How did you strike out on your own?

I was on a tight budget, but I made one significant purchase every year. Over the course of 10 years I had my own studio. Then I found clients through word of mouth.

What do you make for people?

I do custom tile commissions for things such as tile inserts for showers, floors and backsplashes. On my own, I make garden stones, or I tile found objects such as bird baths and dog houses. When taking a break from tile, I pursue my own interests, such as fluid form sculptures, and people also buy those from me.

How do you describe your style?

The driving force behind my tiles is color. All my tiles are colorful, and I put them in combinations that strike me as having a certain feeling. I personally like a Mediterranean palette, with aquas, yellows, white and crimson, but it's not the only one I do. I make round tiles for their mosaic potential. Different shape tiles allow me to put together a project like a patchwork -- it's like quilting with clay.

What's your favorite thing to make?

It's always the thing I'm working on. I bounce between tile and sculpture. It gives me variety, which I love. It's one of the reasons I wouldn't be happy creating a line.

Do your clients give you direction?

People will be happiest when they know my style and flavor. They give me some parameters, say, picking out the colors and pattern, but then they give me a lot of latitude. They know I can't paint pictures of dachshunds on my tiles. That's not what I do.

How often are you in the studio?

My typical hours are 9 a.m.-2 p.m. during the week. I'm not full-time while the kids are in school, but they aren't as needy anymore, so I'm working some when they are around. It's like a tide is turning . . . the kids are older, I'm really confident in my work and I have more time to do it now.

Is your home a tile fest?

Not yet, but we're working on it. I've tiled the bathroom, the breakfast bar, the threshold to my studio and a niche in the back yard.

How much does your tile cost?

Four-inch tiles are $5, which works out to $45 a square foot. More difficult things might cost more. I also can install my work, and that's a separate fee, at an hourly rate.

kbarron@statesman.com; 912-2519.

Tiles by Maggie DeSanto

For custom projects, call DeSanto at 469-2959. Her work is also sold at Burnet Flowers & Gifts (605 N. Water St. No. A in Burnet, 512-756-8888) and Flux Studio (401 E. Sixth St. Suite 2020, 320-0753).

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