Ellen Statz

My greatest pleasures come from allowing the clay to take me places I would not venture into on my own.

Ellen was born and raised in the small coastal community of Campbell River BC, on Vancouver Island. She is the daughter of a commercial fisherman and has a long and direct connection with the sea and with nature which inspires her whimsical forms and designs.

Ellen discovered clay in 1984 while enrolled in the Fine Arts Diploma Program at Malaspina College (now VIU) in Nanaimo BC. She continued her art education and work in Raku at North Island College.

Ellen’s work has moved through a number of themes ranging from a fixation with alligators to her current interest in botanical textures and impressions.
She currently lives and works in Campbell River where she makes Raku pottery and teaches classes in her home studio. Ellen’s work is held in collections throughout the world and she enjoys an enthusiastic local following.

The unpredictable and spontaneous nature of Raku produces positive feedback which shows no sign of abating.