Elissa Palser

I was born in Hemel Hempstead in 1967 and brought up by two artists. My mother, Alice Palser, after training in painting and sculpture started to work sculpturally in ceramics. Since her studio was in our garden, I used clay every day as a child and learnt lots of hand-building techniques at my mother's knee. Having watched my parents struggle financially as artists I was determined to work in the voluntary sector and study academically in London. Throughout this time, however, I continued to do my own art. I have found that no single medium satisfies me and I have used a diverse array of materials to express myself including drawing, painting, textiles, ceramics and more recently mosaic. I am particularly drawn to colour and use it in all my work.

I moved to Suffolk in 1999 and started working alongside my mother in her Suffolk Studio, learning more about glazing and firing techniques. In recent years I have been particularly interested in drawing animals, which have influenced my most recent work. At the same time I continue to knit, make complex patchwork quilts and work in mosaic. In addition I sing and write songs as part of a duo, having just completed an album, and have also completed an MA in creative writing and am just finishing my first novel. I have a diverse array of talents and much of what I do is for my own self-expression and enjoyment.

My birds are each made individually by hand, starting with the basic shape in a press mould, then adding the wings, beak and tail individually. They are biscuit fired and then glazed with a white stoneware glaze, hand decorated with additional oxides and colours and fired to stoneware.

Prices range from: £17-£20

Thrush
stoneware

Blue Tit
stoneware

View all ceramics by Elissa Palser

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