RUTH ELLIOTT
Artistic discipline/s: Ceramics. I am also a 3rd year Contemporary Visual Art student
Location: Brisbane’s Western suburbs
My creative space is…my studio, which is a tiny 3x4m room underneath my house. While it may look tiny and cluttered, it is surprisingly ordered and functional! I fire all my work here in an electric kiln that sits just outside and occasionally I fire up my alternative kilns (a small homemade updraft wood firing kiln and raku kiln or pit) in my backyard.
The last piece I created is…a porcelain human skeleton, made using a non-traditional ceramic technique where objects (in this case natural, found materials) are coated in clay and fired. The object burns out in the firing leaving a fine ceramic ‘shell’ behind.
Inspiration for my art comes from…nature, drawing, history, function, and design
The reason I became an artist/started creating is…I love making! Influenced by my crafting mum, I have always been a ‘maker’ or sorts. It wasn’t until my youngest was at kindy that I was able to devote the time needed to make ‘creating’ more than a hobby, pursuing study in ceramics and visual arts.
My favourite tool for creating is…it changes for me, depending on what I am working on! Pottery wheel, carving tools, my newest ‘tool’ is a fancy raku gas burner.
How I make space in my life for art…I work part-time producing ceramic homewares for boutique shops nationally, and part-time as a visual arts student though Curtin University. Making time and space is a constant juggle and pressure; I do what I love, I never stop, I work hard!
What I do to conjure the muse…research, observe, collect.
Words that inspire me…"The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases."
Carl Jung
(it is stuck to my fridge)