shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileMichigan · United States

on Lake Superior, closer to Canada than to Michigan's mainland

Isle Royale National Park

— — an island that closes itself for half the year.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“An archipelago in the north of Lake Superior, set aside as a national park in 1940. The island closes from November through mid-April when the lake freezes and the ferries stop. In summer the trails run between hardwood ridges and shoreline, and the longest continuous predator-prey study in the world goes on quietly in the background.

from the studio

— bring it home

Isle Royale National Park, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Isle Royale National Park

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

Isle Royale National Park is an archipelago in northern Lake Superior, closer to Ontario and Minnesota than to Michigan's mainland. The main island is about 72 kilometres long and 14 wide, with 165 smaller islands inside the park boundary. Congress authorised the park in 1931 and dedicated it in 1940; UNESCO designated it a Biosphere Reserve in 1980. Access is by passenger ferry from Houghton or Copper Harbor in Michigan, by ferry from Grand Portage in Minnesota, or by seaplane. The park sees fewer visitors in a year than Yellowstone does in a single July day.

— informed by National Park Service, Wikipedia

— the silence

The island holds one of the longest continuous predator-prey studies in science: the wolf-moose research begun in 1958 by Durward Allen and Rolf Peterson, still running today through Michigan Technological University. Wolf numbers crashed to two animals by 2018; the National Park Service reintroduced 19 wolves between 2018 and 2019 to restore the population. Moose move through the boreal forest year-round. There are no roads, no cars, and no dogs allowed on the island. Cell service is absent; visitors carry what they carry and listen.

— informed by Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale, NPS

— the season

The park is open from mid-April through October, with the main visitor season from June through August. The ferries do not run in winter; lake ice and storms close the island, the only national park in the lower 48 to shut entirely for the off-season. Black flies peak in June, mosquitoes through July. September brings cooler nights, the start of leaf colour on the maple ridges, and the smaller shoulder-season backpacker crowd. Most visitors stay several nights; few come for a single day.

— informed by NPS

— where

United States · Keweenaw County, Michigan

— within

Isle Royale National Park

— position

48.0000° N · 88.8000° W

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

90 km S

Houghton

Michigan ferry port

35 km W

Grand Portage

Minnesota ferry port

at the lake

Rock Harbor

park lodge

at the lake

Windigo

park ranger station

Isle Royale National Park

Houghton

Grand Portage

Rock Harbor

Windigo

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Isle Royale National Park — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

Lake Superior storms and ice make safe access impossible from November through mid-April. Isle Royale is the only national park in the contiguous 48 states that closes entirely for the season.

By passenger ferry from Houghton or Copper Harbor in Michigan, by ferry from Grand Portage in Minnesota, or by seaplane. There is no road access and no car ferry; the crossing alone runs three to six hours.

The longest continuous predator-prey study in science, begun in 1958 by Durward Allen and continued by Rolf Peterson at Michigan Tech. Wolves were reintroduced between 2018 and 2019 after the population crashed to two animals.

No. Domestic dogs are banned from the island to protect the wolf population from canine disease. Service animals are permitted with prior National Park Service approval.

Isle Royale sees fewer annual visitors than Yellowstone sees on a single July day, usually under 30,000 a year. Most visitors stay several nights; few come for a single day trip.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. Hikers who walked the Greenstone Ridge or paddled the inland lakes often recognise the colour of the boreal forest here. A Medium on a shelf carries the memory; a Large above a desk keeps it close.

Mountain-modern, cabin-modern, and warm minimalist interiors with a Northwoods leaning. The greens and lake blues pair with raw wood, dark iron, and wool throws on a leather chair.

The piece sits naturally in rooms anchored in stone and pine. A Large reads cleanly above a leather sofa; a 4-tile Mural carries a wide wall in a great room above the fireplace.

A Large covers a standard sofa; a 4-tile Mural reads above a long console; a 9-tile Mural fills a great-room wall. Vertical orientation works for a stairwell.

Yes, in Dura Satin or Matte. Both finishes resist scratches and steam, and the colour lives inside the ceramic so humidity does not affect it.

— if this one stayed with you