In the early 1970’s Elaine lived in Botswana, Southern Africa. On her return to England she enrolled at Pottery Classes, and eventually bought a wheel and a kiln and through her own determination taught herself to throw and worked from home for many years making a range of domestic stoneware, selling at local craft fairs.
In 1986 she was accepted onto the diploma course in the Ceramics Department at Goldsmiths College, London. Her work began to develop, influenced by her African experience and her travels around the world.
After Goldsmiths she set up a studio pottery at a local garden centre again making domestic stone ware, but continuing to develop the artistic side of her work. She became interested in the work of painter Howard Hodgin and started using the whole surface of the pot as a cavas using marks on top of a base glaze with brushes and trailers in coloured glazes, the high firing determining the finished result by causing the glazes to run into each other and create one off abstract designs.
In contrast to this she has recently started to smoke fire and has been experimenting with Raku, Naked Raku and Saggar Firing. She is captivated by the subtleties created by this method of working and is happy developing her new work.
Memberships
Craft Potters Association - Professional Member
Surrey Guild of Craftsmen.