I recently had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Conwell; here is what he told me:
BP: What got you interested in ceramic tombstones and grave markers?
GC: What got me interested in ceramic tombstones happened quite by accident as my friend and I were actually looking for white bronze (zinc) grave markers (art unto itself). Cemeteries had always interested me and after developing a friendship with someone who was a sexton for a cemetery it further sparked my interest, thus began a tour of numerous burying grounds.