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Goose Rocks Tile Studio About Amber St. Clare |
 Nestled in the small New England town of Boxford, MA. exists an old hay barn, which has lived many lives. Once used as housing for a local nursery, it is now the home of Goose Rocks Tile Studio, named after the beach in Kennebunkport, Maine where the studio was first located 25 years ago.
Amber St. Clare Haywood, artist in residence, works from the second floor of the family farm with the comforting sounds of farm animals rising up from below her. From her four friendly goats, three noisy geese, two odd ducks and a host of chickens, she receives her inspiration; creating artwork on tile. Whether four inch, six inch, Mexican, plain or exotic, each tile is executed with significant attention to detail and the needs and desires of clients at the forefront. |
What others would call luck, Amber calls a gift from God. She explains that finding this venue for her artistic ability happened when she least expected it - her predecessor had offered the studio for sale and while perusing Down East Magazine one day, Amber found the ad and read it to her husband, Rick. He insisted that with her background, training at Vesper George School of Fine Art, The Boston Museum of Fine Art, and years of teaching art, she owed it to herself to pursue the opportunity. Through a series of happy events, Amber became the owner of the studio, which continues to bring her joy. | |
| “Through Goose Rocks I’ve met so many nice people and creating art for them is been a special blessing for me,” Amber explains. “When clients first see what I’ve created their expression of delight humbles me. What surprises me is that my clients feel more like old friends than just customers.” | |
| Visitors can find many works displayed for inspiration throughout the studio and gallery. Amber can match fabric, wallpaper, colors, work from blueprints and specifications, sketches, photographs, or ideas. She especially enjoys working on unique projects such as a special design for a kitchen, bath, or fireplace. A patron from Vermont recently commissioned a mural for her dogs’ grooming room that was inspired by the dogs’ eye view of the world. By including many of the features of the client’s home and grounds, Amber created a mural that was “better than imagined.” |
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Other commissions include a wall mural that was eighteen feet long and nine feet tall for Maine’s York High School. The design included Nubble Lighthouse, local historic landmarks, and the school mascot. Amber and her crew finished what should have been a 12-week project in just 5 weeks by working day and night without sacrificing quality. The shortened schedule was a special request by the class who donated the gift in order to surprise students when they returned from Christmas vacation. Staff and students were stunned as they entered the school entrance and the administration was so pleased that they are hoping to continue the tile theme in other areas of the building.
One client had created her own still life, which she wished for Amber to recreate on tile. It had a Cape Cod feel to it, with a Nantucket Basket, lobster, shells and an antique wine bottle nestled together with herbs and veggies. “Love is the only ingredient that really matters,” read the inscription across the bottom – a sentiment echoed in Amber’s work. An Internet search brought Amber another unique assignment where she was asked to create a series of stylized cat tiles for a woman in Maui. Thirty tiles later, “Spike The Cat” and company were sent to adorn the bathroom walls of this client’s island home.   Goose Rocks Tile Studio has produced custom tiles featured in such magazines as Woman’s Day, Kitchens and Baths, and Better Homes and Gardens, as well as site specific works for private collections including those of President George Bush, Bob Hope, General Westmoreland, David Rockefeller and the corporate headquarters of Tom’s of Maine. The studio is represented through leading tile showrooms and in collections along the East Coast. |
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or e-mail Amber at info@gooserockstilestudio.com. For your next tile purchase, check out www.gooserockstilestudio.com. |
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