Perry Harvey, Sr. Park
A History Through the Art
Perry Harvey, Sr. Park, Tampa, FL Located at 900 E. Scott Street, the park is a place where generations can come together to share the history of the Central Avenue, through art, music, and cultural attractions.
Clay Tile Murals by Natalie Blake Studios
The Encore!® trio of murals, was made by Natalie Blake Studios This Public Art Installation was commissioned by the City of Tampa and Bank of America in 2014 as part of the Perry Harvey, Sr. Park.
History of the Scrub and Central Avenue
"The Scrub, once Tampa's oldest and largest African American neighborhood,
traces its history to just after the Civil War,
when newly freed slaves built homes in a scrub palmetto thicket outside of the Town of Tampa.
The heart of the Scrub was the Central Avenue Business District."
~ Visit ~
If you are in Tampa, Florida be sure to visit the park, and wander through the neighborhood! If you see the three Natalie Blake murals, send us your photos so we can add them to this post! Thank you!
Perry Harvey, Sr. Park 900 East Scott Street Tampa, Florida Information for Perry Harvey, Sr. Park: Phone: (813) 274-8854 Email: specialevents@tampagov.net
What size should my artwork be?
Unless you work with an interior designer, it may be difficult to know what size wall art will look best in your space. When it comes to finding the right size wall art, there are a few tips to keep in mind so that you don't overwhelm (or underwhelm) your space with your art:
In general you should work around furniture, using the general rule of covering 1/2 to 3/4 of that area with your artwork.
One guideline is that the artwork should take up 4/7 of the selected space. Here's a math trick to help you figure that the size of the art you need:
Measure the width (or height) of your wall space, in inches. Multiply that number by .57
So, for example, if your area is 36 inches wide, you want to look for art that's 20-21 inches wide.
Here's an example of an appropriately-sized mural for this wall. The width of the wall is 96". Using the calculation outlined above, the artwork for this wall should be 54" wide. This ceramic tile mural, Live Oak, is comprised of 12" x 12" tiles, with 1/2" spacing between tiles. So the width of the piece is about 50". You can see that the mural fills the space nicely, with a nice "frame" of wall around the piece so that the room doesn't look cluttered by the artwork.
sculpted, carved ceramic wall art tile by Natalie Blake
In the example below the width of the wall is 144". Using the calculation, the mural should be about 82". The mural is 75" wide. Even without using the calculation we can see that the piece fits in the space. A large room such as this, with high ceilings, can take a larger piece of artwork. The benefit of a ceramic tile mural like this one is that the work can be appreciated from a distance, or up close to see the carving lines.
sculpted, carved, ceramic tile mural
ceramic wall art tile by Natalie Blake
Feel free to contact the studio if you'd like help determining what size ceramic mural would fit your wall. Our tiles are made in sizes from 12" -20" square. If you send us an image of your wall/space we can Photoshop a mural into the image to give you an idea of what the piece will look like.
Architextural tiles
We developed this line of tile to showcase at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Show. It was a big hit! Each tile is handmade, carved in our signature sgraffito style. The bold, gestural lines accentuate the sculptural undulations in the tile and almost read like topographical lines.
These tiles can be grouped in any configuration, customized in any of our sizes from 12" - 20" square, and glazed in any of our 33 rich, luminous glaze colors.
An interior designer in south Florida is commissioning these tiles for a residential, exterior installation. 15, 12" x 12" tiles will hang as panels and 6, 18" x 18" tiles will be grouted in as a backsplash in the outdoor kitchen.
Outdoor installations of ceramic tile murals
Natalie Blake Studios tiles can be installed indoors or outdoors. The high-fired, durable, sun and weather resistant tile can be grouted into a permanent installation or hung as a tile mural. The modular format of the tiles can be adapted to suit architectural niches, angles, large or small spaces, curved walls, and indoor or outdoor applications. Check out these outdoor installations: Click on the images to enlarge them.
