Artist Statement – Michael Riley

My name is Michael Riley, and I live and work in Kansas City, Missouri.

I was born in Pasadena, California, but when I was 8 years old our family moved to South Africa, where my parents served as missionaries. It was there that I became interested in working with my hands and learning trades, for my father was a builder.

After I completed High School in South Africa, I moved to Oklahoma City, where I attended Southern Nazarene University. I worked in construction to pay for my tuition, and graduated with a degree in religion. My wife and I moved to Kansas City, for four more years of graduate study.

I started a Paint contracting company, did some other things and eventually wound up owning a light construction company.  I discovered I liked to set tile. Whether it was a back-splash, countertop, bathroom or floor, I was always intrigued with tile and marble and enjoyed working with it. I learned skills and developed techniques which allowed me to take working with tile to another level – clocks.

One of my favorite ways to make a clock out of tile is to take a large square tile and cut a rectangular opening inside it, making the tile into a frame. I then attach it to cement board and fill in the opening with a clock-face design using a variety of tiles and shapes. I like to mark the hour divisions within the design itself, whether through the use of inlaid dots or grout lines. When all the tiles are set, they are grouted in place, in a “mosaic-like” fashion. To finish the clock I add a wooden frame to the back, which houses the quartz movement and provides anchor points for the picture frame wire.

Designing clocks seems to come easily for me. I studied drafting in High School as well as plane geometry, and there seems to be no end of possibilities for creating new clock designs. This is good, because I love what I do and want to do it for a long time to come!

   Michael Riley