Elaine Henderson

I enjoy the discipline of functional ceramics reinterpreted using abstract glaze decoration.

Q&A

Artist Statement

I mainly work for exhibition or sale at galleries or festivals, occasionally taking commissions and also teaching two or three times a year.

What craft do you work with?

Clay – Ceramics

What inspires you to work with this craft?

I work with contrasting clays e.g. black/ white stoneware or porcelain and high firing terracotta in a continual search for the perfect marriage of idea, form and decoration.

How do you start your creative process?

I aim for a distillation of feeling in all my work: while function is respected I wish to create objects which energise and move the user

How would you best describe your workspace and what tools could you not do without?

My weekly rhythm is usually throwing or hand building one day and trimming the next; while the work dries I research glazes for testing, using my own frits and oxides or natural materials such as pulverised granite or volcanic ash, finally firing in an electric kiln.

Are there new techniques you would like to try?

I have recently started experimenting with raw glazing and alternative firings to reduce energy costs.