Techniques

Wall pieces and murals class

Ellen recounts her first ceramic mural commission in Chicago and previews her January class on wall pieces and murals.

Raku Group Firing

Studio Nadeau members spent a March day building a backyard raku kiln, glazing pots together, and experimenting with the horse hair firing technique.

Baskets, April, May, and June

Ellen reflects on the joyful, sculptural challenge of making ceramic baskets, drawing inspiration from artists like Betty Woodman and Zan Barnes.

Glazing Ideas

Ellen reflects on how landscapes, light, and even famous painters shape the way she layers and overlaps glazes on her pottery.

Working in a series

Ellen shares why she always works on several ceramic pieces at once, treating each series as an ongoing act of looking, discovery, and refinement.

Clay drying

Ellen Nadeau explains how clay shrinks and cracks as it dries, and the studio techniques—like plastic wrapping and waxed edges—she uses to protect delicate handbuilt and thrown forms through the process.

Creating a Vase by Handbuilding

Ellen shares her love of handbuilding vases from slabs of clay, describing the patience, risk, and freedom the process offers beyond the wheel.

Bowls, bowls, bowls

Ellen walks through her hands-on process for throwing, trimming, and glazing open bowl forms on the wheel.

Maquettes

Ellen Nadeau explains how making small, unfired clay maquettes lets her sketch and play with sculptural ideas before pushing them to full scale.