So why Tiki? Tiki was a common theme from the 40s to the 60s, especially in California. There were Tiki restaurants, amusement parks, miniature golf courses, hotels, apartments, and of course, Tiki bars. It was about fun and escapism; you enter a Tiki establishment and are whisked away to a romantic location with tropical food and colorful drinks served in fantastic ceramic mugs. Waterfalls, jungle birds, and drums are heard in the background and maybe even exotic Polynesian dancers with grass skirts and fire.

When Leslie was going through chemotherapy, I wanted a place where she could relax and escape so I created the Lanai. Of course I needed some custom ceramic Tiki mugs to go with the Lanai, next thing you know I own a kiln and I've been completely sucked into the Tiki Revival Movement :)

With a mister system & ceiling fans for the summer and a fire-pit for the winter, the temperature on the lanai is always a perfectly balmy 75 degrees

With such an inviting environment, the Lanai is home to exotic birds including Hummingbirds and these rare Hawaiian Honeycreepers, the endangered I'iwi (left) and the extinct Mamo (right). They started life as $2 WalMart dove decoys.

The water lily pond and the Spitting Tiki

Faux bamboo (aka "shamboo") shade support made using the Kewlava Method

The plants struggle to just live here in our hot summers, let alone bloom. So we have helped them out with some silk flowers like these orange Japanese Lanterns.

Palm Frond Masks

Our very own tiki mugs and plates for the lanai.

Blowfish mug with removable ceramic garnish

Headhunter Stew mug with bone pile

Cobra mug

Elephant teapot

Ceramic boar tusk & macrame pendant

Monkey mug

Wild boar mug

Flaming tiki torch mug

"Pele Rising" - Volcano mug

Captain Morgan mug with cannon handle and Captain Morgan face at bottom of mug

Faux mosaic plate made for an art show at the Kona restuarant in Huntington Beach, CA

Biker themed mug made for a friend. Mixed media; ceramic, aluminum, and rubber

Fish head mug commissioned as a trophy for an international spearfishing tournament

4 vases; Anthurium, Heliconia, Orchid, & Bird of Paradise

Faux mosaic rooster plate

Small Moai syrup bottles and condiment bowls

Carved bone Manta Ray and Moai

Inspired by this backyard tiki bar in Palm Springs

Polynesian Weapon Inspired

Decorative Lei O Mano (Hawaiian War Club) with polymer clay shark's teeth.

Hawaiian shark tooth war club made of woodgrained clay

Maori Wahaika (war club)

Decorative clay daggers based on Papua New Guinea cassowary bone daggers

Papua New Guinea Inspired

Baining Fire Dance Mug I, inspired by the Baining tribe. This was part of an "Art Swap" where several people create art, are paired at random, and swap with their partner. This mug was sent to "WPlugger" of Florida, I received the mask.


Baining Fire Dance Mug II

Penis Gourd Mug, a spoof on the penis gourds worn by the tribesmen of West Papua New Guinea.

"Hunter Becomes the Hunted", a severed hand holding a shrunken head. Headhunting was practiced in Papua New Guinea until it was outlawed in the 1950s

Another version of the hand and shrunken head

Tiki Menu Inspired

Inspired by a 1970s "Skipper Kent" of San Francisco menu

Inspired by menu art from "The Polynesian" restaurant of Torrance, CA

I swapped this mug with Tom "Aloha Station" of Florida
and got the awesome bone carving on the right in return

Inspired by menu art from "Aloha Jhoe's" of Palm Springs

A large 2 person mug in the form of a volcano in a lagoon, inspired by the Blue Lagoon Restaurant of Lake Loreen. The "smoke" is acrylic sheet and holds 2 clear acrylic straws.

I got a plain pig mug from the world famous Tiki Mug artist Dave "Squid" Cohen, my assignment was to modify it and send it back. "Frankenpig" is what I came up with.

I had a leftover pig, I made it into a "Swinguzunguzu". A nguzunguzu is a canoe prow ornament from the Solomon Islands

An 12x8 inch "Jade" Jaguar for a tiled BBQ enclosure

Pupu is the Hawaiian word for appetizers. I made some plates to hold appetizers or S'mores that can be heated over the Sterno flame in the middle.
Mt Hibachi & the Pupu Lagoon

Zombie Village Pupu Platter

Hornbill inspired art in progress for another Art Swap

Left to right; polymer clay hornbill skull and boar tusks, Solomon Island Hornbill bowl, whimsical Hornbill mug, and hatching baby Hornbill mug