Ellen Shankin

 

Ellen Shankin
This is a short "get to know her"  video.

Everyday Ellen dedicates herself to her work whether it be altering pots from the day before or working on  a series and trying to transform a ball of clay into what she pictures in her mind. I like how she described what a series of work is to her, she describes it as throwing a pitcher and looking at it and saying "I would like that belly a little bigger or lower",  doing that and looking at it after it is sitting there.. That belly is too low and trying again. I like her passion she puts into each pot. she recollects when she was younger that all she wanted to do was  "play" in the clay.

Ellen said most of the time in her work she will alter a pot from a round form to a square, rectangle or oval form. She likes alter the form. she described making the same teapot over and over again and people asking her why she was still making the same old teapot. she responded by saying there is just something about it that I can't stop making it.

I love the way she glazes her pots. It makes them look so rustic and appealing to me.