Handpaintedtiles

ABOUT THE ARTIST		Originally from Baltimore, Maryland artist, designer and entrepreneur Paddy Dugan started Tile Art Ltd. after a 12 year career as an Interior Designer. Here's how it happened. Over two decades ago she was injured in a car accident and while recovering entertained herself by learning all about painting china. A great admirer and collector of painted porcelain she decided to teach herself how to paint her own dishes. To show off her new plates she threw a dinner party and that night she got so many orders that she decided to start a business and it took off from there! Five months later she was featured in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine for a rug design she created and painted on tile for the ASID Baltimore Symphony Decorator Show House! The article described her as "energetic, inventive and creative with a keen eye for detail."
	Over the years she's become a nationally published and award- winning master tile artist. This success is a result of consistently exceeding clients expectations with elegant hand painted tiles and sinks.
	Coming from a family of teachers explains how naturally she entertains students with demonstrations and one on one guidance and attention. Students work with a selection of the best paints, tools and supplies she's used herself so it's easy for students to learn. The classes are as specialized as her custom artwork.

ASSOCIATIONS:

American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
Women's Council of Realtors
Renovate Sarasota Group
Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce
EDUCATION
St. Paul's School For Girls, Baltimore, Maryland
The Maryland Institute College of Art BFA in Interior Design.
Ringling College of Art and Design

In 2004 her shop opened in Historic Burns Court. This beautiful studio and showroom was used to teach workshops as well as meet with designers architects and residential clients who call on her for her experience and creativity,

AWARDS

First Place French Film Festival Art Show 2002
Voted one of Sarasota's Best Women in Business in 1999
Member Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce since 1996
Nominated Small Business of the Year 2003 and 2005

NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS:
Coastal Living 2007
Sarasota Magazine 2002
Better Homes and Gardens: Beautiful Baths 2000
Better Homes and Gardens: Bedroom and Bath 1998
Better Homes and Gardens: Beautiful Baths 1995
Better Homes and Gardens: Kitchen and Bath 1999
Style Magazine 1999
SRQ Magazine 2008

"Art comes from the spirit," Dugan says. "There's warmth, there are also mistakes... maybe where a line is not perfectly straight. People need to have that imperfection because there's beauty in it.." Paddy Dugan's 12 year professional career as an Interior Designer came to a halt when she was in a car accident which resulted in a back injury in 1998. While recovering she researched the art of painting porcelain and immediately fell in love with the paints and the brilliant color they produced. Her first design project was a set of tableware she created for herself.

She threw a holiday dinner party and used her new designs she hand painted on each plate and serving piece. Nearly every person who dined on them wanted them for Christmas gifts! She had so much fun filling the orders for her friends she decided to paint her designs on tile and start a business. Tile Art Ltd. was officially up and running a week later.

Not being able to afford advertising she decided to donate her work by getting involved with the upcoming ASID Baltimore Symphony Decorator Show House. She partnered with one of the designers and offered to paint a tile mural to look like a rug for the powder room. It was a big hit! Better Homes and Gardens published an article on Tile Art Ltd. with photo's and a story of her rug.

SARASOTA MAGAZINE ARTICLE. COPYRIGHT 2001 Clubhouse Publishing, Inc.
When a car accident temporarily sidelined interior designer Paddy Dugan some years ago, she bought a few plates and pound out her pent-up energy with paint. Dugan used the newly painted tableware at a dinner party in November and was inundated with Christmas orders from friends. By January, she had expanded to painting on tiles and was officially in business.

Dugan's painted tiles depict images ranging from a simple basket of wild-flowers to a pastoral Tuscany scene. One family wanted a reminder of Jamaica, so she created groupings of tiles for their dining area that resemble open windows looking out onto the tropical island. Perhaps the most complicated piece she's done is a bathroom wall for a couple that provided her
with 52 family photographs to create a yacht club scene.

Although the final product is assembled at the client's home, Dugan paints and glazes the tiles in her home studio. With a moss-green hallway, hot pink bathroom and yellow office, her home reflects Dugan's eclectic style. Everything is art--a violin, her parents wedding photo--and her furniture is a mix of lovingly refinished pieces culled from antique stores, old family pieces and bits from the Pottery Barn. Some of her own work is evident, too, including whimsically painted dinnerware and martini glasses.

STYLE MAGAZINE ARTICLE COPYRIGHT 2003 Published on: 4/1/2003
Paddy Dugan, a highly skilled master tile artist and owner of
TILE ART LTD. specializes in kitchen/bath design and is
considered a renovation expert. Combining a background
in Interior Design with a talent for painting artwork on tile
allows for each client to experience start to finish professional
success with regard to your particular project parameters.

Sarasota School of Decorative Arts article 2003
Published on: 4/29/2003
Paddy Dugan is the proprietor and principle artist for Tile Art, Ltd. in Sarasota, Florida. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design at the Maryland Institute College of Art and was voted one of Sarasota's Best Women in Business in 1999.