The contemporary one is very handsome. It reminds me of the fireplace we had when I was a kid.
For me, the fireplace I grew up with was more like a children's playground. My mother even painted the bricks inside to be acrylic white. We never, ever had a fire inside the house. Probably my mother was worried about an accident happening with a large family, and she was always cleaning our messes. The house always had to look clean.
I really like the various glazes you offer. Do you ever paint glazed designs and leave some of the clay texture/color exposed?
thanks @creativetruth, interesting to hear about your playground fireplace which is certainly a valid way to enjoy that space too! I grew up in a house from the 1720s and there was one of those giant walk-in fireplaces with a bread oven and such. It was big enough to have a fire with a screen AND play in front of it safely.
And to answer your question, yes I often use the raw clay as a design element. For example, the photo above with the 4 white tiles called "4" Landscapes in white" - well the orangish color is raw clay without glaze and the reflection of the minerals during firing makes it amber colored.
Aha. I was wondering about that. Thanks for the reply.