Tile style How a Valentine became a career
By Janelle Zara
Photos: Julie Wiatt
John and Lynn Hume's basement stays comfortably warm even as winter approaches and the temperature starts to drop. It's because their so-called basement is actually a factory, warmed by a 2200 degree kiln, where they produce hundreds of handcrafted tiles.
The Humes are the creators of the incidental Sligo Creek Tile Company, a Takoma Park business of handcrafted art for installation in fireplaces, kitchens and bathrooms, as well as decoration for the living room wall.
In 1997, Lynn gave John the gift of tilemaking classes at a local art school for Valentine's Day. While Lynn is a glassblower (as well as a financial journalist), John was in construction and engineering at the time and had little experience with art.
"I had taken some art classes in college, but I didn't have any background in it. But I was good with blueprints," John recalled.
 | | John Hume rolls out clay for a fresh set of tiles. |
When it came to tile making, "We just got hooked," he said. "Most of the people in the class made one tile. Lynn made a couple and I made six or eight. 'Maybe this is a sign!' I thought. 'Maybe this is the direction I should be going.'"
The Humes' love for tilemaking evolved into a business, and their products were picked up by local art retailer Finewares (now American Craft) in 1997.
The couple named their business Sligo Creek Tile Company as a testament to the area where they're made.
"Takoma pottery was already taken!" John joked. "Sligo Creek sounds very peaceful and gives an idea of where we are."
The Humes' creations take inspiration from American art tiles, which were produced between 1895 and 1920. They also borrow themes from art nouveau, art deco, nature, things around them, and various wildlife.
"If I can draw it, I can carve it into clay," John says.
The first popular Sligo Creek designs involved cats. "God bless the cat people," John joked. "If it has pointy ears and a tail, they'll buy it. Cat people bought us a new roof."
Takoma Park's high cost for commercial space keeps the 18-step production in the Humes' basement, which brims with plaster molds, a 10x10x10 foot kiln and more glazes than one could imagine. John and Lynn will come up with an idea for a tile and carve it into clay in the comfort of their dining room. After several more steps, they fire the tiles at 2200 degrees.
Although Takoma Park is their "bread and butter," they have retailers as far west as Wisconsin and buyers as far east as Russia. It's the power of the Internet, according to John. He and his wife can keep up with their orders, but just barely. "I'm behind as soon as I wake up," he says. When Sligo Creek first began, the Humes were selling in the hundreds. Ten years later, the tiles are selling by the thousands. John orders 1,000 pounds of porcelain, stoneware and specialty clay every two months, and they use every scrap of it.
The Humes price their art with the belief in mind that everyone deserves fine art.
"The aesthetic, the dignity of handcrafted items, the possession is intrinsically good to possess," said John, "and most have a $20 bill in their pocket they can part with."
Tile prices start as low as $6.50 for a 3 x 3 inch square and go as high as several hundred dollars. Sligo Creek Tiles are currently available at American Craft at 7042 Carroll Ave., or from the Humes' website, www.sligocreek.com.
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