Elaine Paterakis
Elaine Paterakis (born 1963, Chicago) is a self-described woman of “no intentions” when it comes to clay. But for someone who lacks aim, she’s consistently come up with some amazing artwork over the past decade!
Elaine Paterakis was looking for new friends when she joined Lincoln Square Pottery Studio – Learning Center just a few short years after it opened in 2002. While having a long history of craft making (beading and print work), Paterakis had her mind set on wheel throwing. After diligently searching the web, LSPS-LC seemed like the right place for her, so she signed up for a beginners’ class. She met fellow artist Mindy Stillman that same night, and the two are still art buddies to this day. Paterakis had no idea what she would end up creating in class, or if it would even be functional. But that was beside the point, because she knew that was exactly the type of creative therapy she was looking for. After a few years in the beginners’ class, she was promoted (or asked to make room because she was too good!) to the intermediate level. There she branched out to hand building, and a multitude of new projects.
Paterakis concentrates on creating items that she herself wants to see in her own home. Trinket trays, soap dishes, artistic wall tiles all have a place in her space, as well as making their way into friends’ hands. She’ll come back to a favorite design and add new techniques she’s learned at the studio. Gold luster and decal workshops have given new life to some of them- the gold plays especially well off of her favorite commercial glaze “Smokey Merlot”. There’s also been a slow growing collection of little buildings on her bookshelves that feature twinkling lights inside. Fellow artist Mickey Nuccio let her use the patterns for these little creations- another testament to the studio friendships she’s formed.
A new direction in clay happened when Paterakis recently took a mold-making workshop. The end result was a delicate little bottle, which the artist reused to create similar forms. Something sparked in her during this process. Each new piece was an instant canvas for infinite designs. Inspired, she and a friend purchased a pipe mold together, and took turns creating the form. Because the mold knocked off hours of hand-building time, she was free to expand her decorations. She was impressed by tiny dots on a piece she saw in a magazine, and took a stab at it. She added a base glaze color as well as clear to each pipe for its final firing, and then added little dots of China paint color on top of each other. The effect is an appealing, if slightly trippy design that serves the shape of the pipe well. A simple change in paint order creates an entirely new and individual design. While the process can appear tedious to some, Paterakis has found the sweet spot between being productive, feeling Zen and getting some people time in. The repetitive process takes her mind off of life and all its responsibilities, while still being present enough to make conversation. Although if you see a missing dot, it might be because the conversation was too entertaining!
While Paterakis has no intentions of changing the focus of her time at the studio into production work, she is creating with an eye to the future. Friends who smoke encouraged her to consider selling her pipes, since cannabis is now legal in the state of Illinois. Businesses are vying for licenses to sell the herb, and all the accouterments that go with it. Paterakis is seizing the moment and looking to get her beautiful pipes into the hands of smoking connoisseurs. Her pieces are for sale at the studio, as well as at a brand new business Canna Bella Lux right in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago.
Paterakis is truly an appreciator of the creative process. Her lack of objective lets her create appealing items that might otherwise not have come into existence. Her love of ceramics sometimes has her risking scorched eyebrows to take a peek into a hot glaze kiln and all its dazzling contents. We appreciate her curiosity and ability to tap into her intuition, and hope her pipes are a great success!