My tiles are "square artworks",  but that was not the thought behind the name!  "St. Jude Square"  is my art studio, named in honor of my mother, who had a strong and abiding devotion to St. Jude Thaddeus.   

I have always been moved both by the power of words and the beauty of light, color, and form.  With a degree in English,  I wanted to write and illustrate children's books.  I love pictures with words, but never pursued art instruction, thinking it was too "impractical" .

Raising four wonderfully inquisitive children kept my creative side engaged for many years, anyway!

When the kids grew up and "left the nest", I had time on my hands, and decided to try and develop my art skills.  I  had hundreds of white ceramic tiles, left over from an extensive renovation of my 1910 family farmhouse (now art studio), "St. Jude Square".

I was so excited about the chance to learn to paint, that I practiced my painting on just about every available surface--even the tiles. I went through that original box of leftovers, then bought some more!  I loved the glossy look and feel--even the unusual square shape--of my little "art tiles". I painted so many, it only made sense to try and sell some of them.

At my very first craft fair a lady named Anna commissioned me to paint one! It was to be a traditional birth tile, with her new grandchild's birth details.

Words and pictures together?  Appealing to a child? Kind of like illustrating a children's book, but with the "page' displayed for all to see!

Anna had me to paint new tiles for each of her four precious grandchildren.  Other people  saw hers, and ordered their own. Anna's tiles always spark conversation, she tells me, as they are proudly displayed  in her kitchen. Birth tiles have been especially fun for me to paint, as I know they are treasured!

I've sold hundreds of tile paintings since that first craft fair--some with custom words and poems on them. They have welcomed little ones to the world, comforted people in sadness, celebrated marriages and anniversaries,  and have added whimsy or color to a room.  I've found a lot of joy in making them.   In the process, I've also made some lasting friends, like Anna!

I still plan to write and illustrate children's books--I do little stories casually even now for friends and family. With my "St. Jude Square Artworks" I  also get to illustrate the written word a tile at a time...

Ellen Commerce

Mom always gently told us kids, when we were struggling with something hard--especially something that seemed to have no solution-- "turn it over to St. Jude." Then, she said, let it go, and do not worry anymore...

The apostle "St. Jude", known for his prayer help in impossible situations, is  also often pictured as holding a carpenter's square, to honor him as an "architect of the  city of God". 

Dear St. Jude, in  grateful memory of my mother,  I'm turning this  new little business over to you, with confidence, and a smile.