Arlene Knaak

Specializing in Handmade Tile Wall Murals
and Ceramics for Home & Office

     I am a ceramic artist transplanted here in 1965 from Rhode Island. I settled in Liberty (Gassaway) 35 years ago on 165 acres where I raise my family and have my studio and sales gallery.

     I fell in love with this matter called clay in high school and have played with it and created pottery ever since. Several years ago, I went back to hand-building and although I have a line of functional ware, wall art is what keeps me creative and keeps the juices flowing.

     My wall art consists of clay tiles that are handmade. They are either impressed with various objects before they dry or are carved when leather hard. The tiles are then fired in my kiln and sometimes stained. Lastly, they are smoke-fired in straw. The smoke-firing leaves straw patterns in the clay, and the heat from the fire changes the coloring. I enjoy the straw-firing technique and how it changes the appearance on the surfaces of the tiles.

     My wall pieces seem to fit in any décor, whether traditional or contemporary. In addition to my collection at Arlene’s Art Studio, my work can also be seen at the Appalachian Center for Crafts and in several galleries around Tennessee.

     I am a member of the Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour, and I invite you to come out and take our tour - always the last weekend in October!