I have a New Man in My Life

by Eleanor Hendriks

His name is Peter. I met him on Valentine's Day and I'm in love.

So here's the whole juicy story. I bought a Peter Pugger/Mixer from another potter who was upgrading and the only day we weren't both busy was Valentine's Day so that was the day we arranged to go and pick it up. My handy hubby (yes, I'm keeping him too) and I spent the most romantic day driving to get the pugmill, rearranging the studio to accommodate it and testing it out on my huge pile of reclaim.

This great machine is more than just a pugmill, it is also a mixer, which means I can put dry trimmings and chunks, slop, water and workable clay in it to be reconstituted. The only thing it won't mix up is leatherhard clay. Also, is has a vacuum pump, so the clay comes out deaired, there is no need to wedge! Be still, my beating heart...

My hubby loves the pugmill too! So much so, that he volunteered to turn my three year pile of reclaim back into usable clay. He's already made noticeable progress.

New love is just the thing to brighten up the depths of winter!

News Flash for Lovers...

by Eleanor Hendriks

Sweetheart Mugs are now available in my Etsy shop!

Cranberry Red



Weathered Ivory (with a touch of palest Pink)




My dear American friends, I can still get one of these to your Sweetheart for Valentine's Day but please, please, place your order before the end of day on Sunday -thanks!

Just spreading the love.

Don't Break my Twigs

by Eleanor Hendriks

When I make a batch of things the same size I use something stuck into a blob of clay on the edge of my splashpan to mark the height and width so I don't have to measure each piece as I work.

For about 10 years I used a twig plucked from a bush outside the door of my old studio in Fergus. It was just the right length and thickness and, most importantly, it had a bit of spring so that if I made something a bit too wide it would bend and ride on the surface of the clay instead of digging in and making an unwanted groove in the piece. It was a very special twig that I always used and that had a place of honour in my toolbox. The bush it came from succumbed to a combination of cold winters and my lackadaisical gardening efforts a few years after I plucked the twig, so there was no ready source for more of the same.

One day, a friend was sitting in the studio and chatting with me while I worked (something I had been begging him to do for ages). He is an incurable fiddler and can never have his hands empty. He picked up this very special twig and, much to my horror, proceeded to snap it into teeny weeny bits as we talked. I didn't dare say anything because I didn't want to chase him away. I hoped to find a replacement twig without telling him what he had done.

I have never found a suitable replacement.

I tried broom straws from traditional style brooms, twigs and grasses from wherever I could find them but never found something that worked as well as my original twig. For the last 8 years or so I have settled on bamboo skewers as my new clay marker. They work reasonably well. They are long enough, thin and come to a nice sharp point for marking but they just don't have the spring that made my original twig so perfect.

Then one day, not so long ago, I couldn't find any bamboo skewers as I prepared to make a set of mugs. Not wanting to waste time looking I grabbed the nearest long thin stick-like object as a substitute. That object happened to be a thin paintbrush. As I was sticking it into my lump of clay, I realized that the pointy brush end would be a perfect marker! The handle was long and thin enough and the brush end could ride along a too wide pot without marring the surface. Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?!?



This brush is now my new twig. If you come to visit my studio and see me scurrying to hide something as you come in, don't worry, I'm not up to anything illegal, I'm just hiding my twig!

Streamlining the Process

by Eleanor Hendriks

When I sit down to make a batch of similar pots, I often think about ways to speed things up. I like to think of myself as an artist and I strive for some level of artistic vision in everything I make, but let's face it -some things about being a potter are factory-like. And if I'm going to spend time being factory-like, I may as well be an efficient factory. Theoretically, this will leave more time for the pieces closer to my heart that just can't be churned out.

This past week, one of my goals was to restock my French Butter Dishes. My latest version of a French Butter Dish has a knob that is thrown onto the lid portion of the dish. Previously, I made this knob by trimming the lid, attaching a small ball of clay, centering it and then throwing the knob like a small, short walled bowl.

I got to thinking that there had to be a faster way. Centering small pieces of clay is tricky and slow. Opening right down to the lid seems like a waste of effort. So, I devised this way to make knobs without having to center or open. So far, now that I've had a bit of practice, it seems to be a bit quicker. I'll have to make another batch to evaluate further. But, in the meantime, I thought I'd share my efforts with you...

I started with a 2" thick log of softish clay...

...sliced it into 1"ish discs...
...poked a hole through each with my thumb...

...trimmed the Butter Dish lid...
...scored and slipped where the knob would be attached... (sorry so blurry!)...
...stuck the doughnut firmly and evenly all around...
...and started throwing it, making sure it was attached all around...

...threw to the final thickness ignoring the ragged top edge...
...trimmed to the required height with a needle tool... (I'll cut the discs a little thinner next time because I had to cut off quite a lot to get the right height)...
...smoothed off the rim...
...did a final shaping...
...completed batch of eight.
These will be hitting my Etsy shop in a couple of weeks. I'm planning on glazing them Powder Blue, Spring Green, Bright Cobalt Blue and maybe one other colour...
Now I just need to make enough ware to fill the rest of the kiln, including another batch of the Now Even Faster French Butter Dishes...

First post of 2010

by Eleanor Hendriks

I was so excited to get back to clay this week. Holidays and shipping have kept me away from gooey wet delicious clay for many weeks and I could almost taste the mud. But, things didn't go as planned...

I had a turkey carving cut on a finger that was surprisingly painful, my clay was too hard, my studio was too cold and I just couldn't find the rhythm. I just kept working and I did have reasonable results but I was surprised not to find The Zone right away. I should know better by now -even though I can sit down at a wheel and make pretty much anything I want whenever I want, The Zone -that space where time doesn't exist and the clay leaps into shape -is still elusive. It takes a combination of time in, repetition and mindfulness that isn't always instant. As always, I have high hopes for next week...

In the meantime, I have Sweetheart Mugs well under way...

Despite good intentions to the contrary, I usually only get one batch of these done per year, so if you'd like me to reserve on for you, just let me know. Don't worry, the finished product won't be so shaggy looking. There's still some smoothing and glazing time to be put in...
These will be available in my Etsy store before the end of January -I may even try some not so traditional Valentine's colours...

Progress and Swapping

by Eleanor Hendriks

I am thrilled to report that there is progress on my gallery entrance -the framing for my new doors and one window is in!
I'm hoping to have the doors delivered and put in before this next weekend is over. Then all will be ready for a welcoming entrance for my 3rd Annual Christmas Art Sale on November 6,7&8. No more traipsing through the kiln room (also known as the junk repository). Be sure to plan on stopping in if you are in the area...

And I've entered to play my favourite game -Mug Swap with the Etsy Mud Team. Here's my entry...
Check in to see the other entries by other Mud Team Members.


While you are there, you may want to check out the catalogue of great things that the Etsy Mud Team has made...


After all, Christmas is coming :)

Fusion Pottery and Glass Sale

by Eleanor Hendriks

So here's where I'll be this weekend...

Fusion Pottery and Glass Sale


Toronto's Largest Show and Sale of Fine, Handcrafted Clay and Glass.

Featuring 50 clay and glass artists ranging from internationally recognized leaders in the field, to emerging clay and glass craftspeople presenting some of the best decorative and functional clay and glass in Canada.

CNIB Building, Conference Centre,

1929 Bayview Avenue, Toronto
Thursday, Oct. 15th noon to 9 pm Free Admission
Friday, Oct. 16th 9 am to 9 pm
Saturday, Oct. 17th 9 am to 6 pm
Sunday, Oct 18th 11 am to 4 pm

Actually, it's my pottery that will be there -since it is a show with shared work hours, I won't be there the whole time myself. My shifts are on Sunday and I'll be working at the checkout -as always, if you introduce yourself and tell me that you are a blog reader, I'll slip you $5 in Élan dollars...

I have at least three kiln loads of work that I haven't photographed yet including some new pieces with tricky experiments with very runny glazes, so if you think you've seen everything Élan there is to see by cruising through my Etsy shop, you'd be wrong!

If you can get to downtown Toronto this weekend, you can check out some of my new work and the work of a great selection of top notch Canadian clay and glass artists.

I'd love to meet you there...

In the Zone

by Eleanor Hendriks

*quickly sweeping dust off my blog before beginning to type...*

I had a rare treat yesterday -8 hours straight in the studio without interruption and with most of my list of things that needed desperately to be done checked off.

So I spent the time putting handles on 14 jars that had been waiting quietly under plastic for almost a week. Rather than whip out a batch of ordinary knobs on the wheel, I decided to go all out and turn the top of each jar into a little wonderland

I started off with the chunkier jars and went for a basic woodland look...
Then the knobby bits started to have a more refined shape...
By the time I got the to jars with more dainty shapes the tops had become more elegant as well...

Until, completely in the zone where time doesn't exist, all chairs are comfortable and blaring radios are whispers in the distance, I finished the last two jars with the best finials and most delicate textures yet...
These two are my favourites by far...
I wonder if could have made them without the 12 that went before? Of course, now that I've done them once, I can explore the themes I've created here on other forms.

The first thing that I'll do is make some larger jars to take these themes further on -it will be almost impossible to ask the price that the amount of time spent on these small jars requires -and I haven't even glazed them yet -which I'm sure will be just as time consuming given the directions my fiddly little brain is going as I imagine how these might look finished.

Of course I'm ignoring the downer in the back of my head that is warning me not to get too attached in case one of my attacks of clumsiness takes out the whole collection...

In the meanwhile, all the regular stuff has been going on in the studio as well. Two good kiln loads lately means that there should be a flurry of new listings in my Etsy shop in the near future.

And for local people, the Victoria County StudioTour is coming up next weekend and the weekend after. Visit the many artist's studios in the area and if you drop by my studio and tell me that you read about the tour on my blog I will give you Elan Dollars good for pottery in my studio...



Oh and I will have homemade Lemon Pound Cake -it is to die for and I really shouldn't eat it all by myself...

Bobcaygeon Wine and Food Festival

by Eleanor Hendriks

Calling all Kawarthians -are you looking for something to do this Saturday? Stop by the Bobcaygeon Wine and Food Festival . Celebrity cooks, food and wine pairing demos, music and more at the Settlers Village, a quaint collection of pioneer buildings in Bobcaygeon. And, lucky you, I'll be there too with my pottery wares for food lovers...

Garlic graters

French Butter Dishes

Brie Bakers

And my signature fruit shaped stopperless salt shakers.
I hope to see you there. If you introduce yourself as a blog reader I will slip you $5 in Élan Dollars good on pottery at my studio...


One of the organizers of the Festival is a student of mine. She is a sculptor in cement with a show called "Coming Together" on now at the Lindsay Art Gallery . One of her first forays into the complex world of ceramics resulted in this stunning piece that I just had to show off...
Way to go Pam, You are translating your skills with cement into success with clay at an astonishing rate!

Sizing Things UP

by Eleanor Hendriks

I know, I was just here saying I didn't have time to blog but let's put it this way instead -things will be even more sporadic than usual in Elan-land during the summer...

I had a bit of time in the studio today, so I got going on restocking my Berry Bowl supply in an attempt to keep ahead of demand -a very satisfying project because now when customers request the colours I have sold out of I can say that they are already in the works...

And then to spice things up, I set myself a bit of a challenge.

The Etsy Mud Team is having a bottle challenge in August and today was really the last day I could start them and still have any hope of finishing in time for the entry date, since I will be away on vacation between now and then.

I usually work in multiples, but this time rather than making a bunch of things the same size I decided to make the same shape in 4 different sizes. I have done this many time with bowls and don't find it all that hard, but repeating this bottle was a real trick!

I started with the largest (13") bottle, because I figured it would be the most difficult and that making smaller things go where I wanted them to would be easier. I have to say, the smallest (6") bottle took me the longest. I found it tricky to duplicate the curves when I couldn't really fit my hand in the bottle or my fingers down inside the neck. I have gained a new appreciation for potters that make miniatures -and this piece isn't even that small -it is still 6" tall!

I think I did pretty well in my attempt at doing the clay version of hitting the reduce button on the photocopier...


It is always amazing to me to see how just the slightest change in angle or curve can change the character of a piece. In fact, I think that is one of the things that compels me back to the studio time and again -the chance that this time I will get the perfect combination of curves and angles (and then maybe the perfect combination of colours and glazes...) And it is why handmade objects often have a life that we don't see in manufactured goods.

When each manufactured good comes out the same, the original design must have the elusive je ne sais quoi but often the original is average at best or compromised by efficiencies required by the manufacturing process along the way.

While making handmade pottery, the potter is making hands on decisions at every second of the forming thus having a profound effect on the end result.


So can I pass the challenge on to my clay addicted readers? I'd love to see someone else give the clay version of a reducing photocopier a try and I'd love to see the results...