After the design stage is finished in the office at the computer, the unfired "green" brick or brick tile has to be stacked on one of the studio easels.
This is where the "real work" begins....

Jon carving a small Nor'wood logo for Bridle Pass

After stacking the brick and "rough" cutting the design, Jon carves "leaves on the tree" on a small Nor'wood logo for one of the four Bridle Pass walls. Since 1999, Nor'wood has added a small logo to each of their sculpted brick signs.

Even in a small size, a lot of detail can be added to a carved brick sign. While a brick or tile sign is on the easel, it is important to keep the wall wrapped with plastic, when it's not being carved.

Carving Nor'wood logo - 1987

Sixteen years earlier, a "younger" Jon was also carving "leaves" on a much larger Nor'wood logo, measuring 5' high by 8' wide.

This logo, one of two, installed by Spitzer Masonry, is part of a major entry to Nor'wood on Austin Bluffs near Templeton Gap, Colorado Springs, created in 1987.

Karen carving "antelope" 1999

sign: Antelope Creek (Nor'wood) Colo. Springs

For the Antelope Creek subdivision at Nor'wood in Colorado Springs, Karen carved "antelope" like this pair for four entry walls.

Using "green" over-sized brick units, a bas relief sculpture provides an attractive detail to entry monuments and walls. Colored clay slips highlight the sculptures.

Various studio carving tools

Alamosa Family Rec. Center sign in background

Carving a brick or tile sign / sculpture is a process of "elimination," removing the clay until you have what you want.

Here, with the Alamosa Family Recreation Center tile sign in the background, are the various tools used in that process. They range from pneumatic tools, to "hand-made" tools with hockey sticks for handles, down to the smaller masonry and pottery hand tools.

Bridle Pass name on studio easel

Bridle Pass (Nor'wood) 2002 - 2003

With letters approximately 18" high, the Bridle Pass name is almost 13' long, shown here after the carving is completed.

Even though it looks like one big solid chunk of brick clay on the easel, there are actually over two hundred oversized individual brick that have been carved. The brick are separated by small slabs of clay, where the mortar joints will be.

Now each brick is taken down, numbered, and dried, before firing in the large gas kiln, to about 2,200 degrees F. After the first firing, a ceramic glaze is added to the "face" of the letters and then refired.

Park West Business Campus during carving

one of two walls, Pueblo, Colorado - 2002

When stacked on the easel, there isn't much difference between a sculpted brick sign and a brick tile sign, like this one for Park West Business Campus, in Pueblo, CO.

This shot shows the uncarved letters on the left, down to the finished, carved letters on the far right.