We usually work from Jpegs, emailed to us and work from there. We pour slip, (liquid clay) into plain tile molds. These dry for a few days, cleaned and then a protrait starts. From a sketch on the tile, I paint with simple underglazes, these are simple earth and mineral dyes mixed with water. A six inch head study usually takes about two or three hours to work up. It now dries for a day to two and then is first fired to cone 03 to a hard bisque state. This is then washed, dryed and glazed with a clear gloss or satin glaze and fired to cone 05. This makes it hard, glossy and very durable, the image is fixed forever. No two tiles really ever come out the same.

Lure Coursing in September

MBIF DC Kamaraj Kamosetts Zabelles Sirocco SC, FCh- (Little Za with a big ribbon) Releasing on the start... Comming in on the lure, or plastic bag...







Lure coursing is a performance event developed in the 1960's by Lyle Gillette and other California sighthound fanciers who hunted jackrabbits in the open field, which risked the harm caused by barbed wire fencing. They invented lure coursing as a safer, more controlled sport for sighthounds that would recreate the physical requirements of open field coursing, allowing them to continue testing the functional abilities of their sighthounds. The hounds chase plastic bags on a course laid out to simulate escaping game.
Judging
Hounds are normally run in trios, in yellow, pink, and blue colors. Judges assess performance based on each hound's abilities, identifying hounds by their blanket color. The hounds run a preliminary course and a final course, and then may run for Best of Breed. Finally, the Best of Breed run for Best in Field, as an optional stake. The hounds are scored by the following criteria:
Points
Follow
15
Enthusiasm
15
Agility
25
Speed
25
Endurance
20

Pharaoh Hound Club of America National Specialty

Recent work done for the PHCA specialty done for September's show in North Branch NJ

Our Dogs

Kamaraj Kamosetts Zabelle
Kamaraj Ka Zoe

Kamaraj Ka Kamose

Recent work done for the New England Rhodesian Ridgeback Club's supported entry at the Cape Cod Kennel Club's show. Handpainted portrait on a ten inch plate- Best of Breed brize

Westport Art Tile

Thank you for visiting our online blog. Westport Art Tile is a small family run business dedicated to producing canine protraits on ceramic tile. Handmade, personal and truly one-of-a-kind portraits, memorials and tributes to our best friends.
We have produced ceramic tile for over 10 years now with portraits and scenes of our own dogs, and other breeds. Our inspiration is our own Pharaoh Hounds, a primitive breed known in Malta as the Kelb Tal Fenek, or rabbit hound. Thought to have originated in the Mediteranean ages ago, it was saved by the Maltese for future generations for it's determined hunting abilities.
We show and lure course our dogs throughout the Northeast with several friends who also own this remarkable breed. We hope to show some examples of our work, and photos of our dogs at home.