documenting process

Artist Statement

Observations of the natural word have taught me countless lessons—beautiful and brutal simultaneously. My work is inspired by cycles of growth and change, as well as the abundant texture and diverse organic forms that surround me in Western North Carolina. The surface compositions represent both micro and macro views of the natural world and the many metaphors it offers for the human experience.

My great grandfather immigrated from Scotland as a gardener by trade. His daughter, my great aunt, avidly grew orchids in her greenhouse. My father studied landscape architecture and was a devoted gardener. There is a botanical reverence that runs through the generations of my family and for me it manifests not only in the study of plants but also in my studio as I sculpt and draw.

Focusing on craft and tactile details, I create functional and sculptural ceramics with mid-range clay, both wheel thrown and handbuilt. Using slip, stains, and underglazes I draw and transfer layered compositions that are organic and freeform in composition.

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Unbound to one medium, I shift ideas from painting and printmaking into sculpture, installation, and video. This approach allows me to respond to form and material from multiple vantage points and encourages me to work energetically and untethered to expectation.

BIO

Eleanor Annand grew up on the southern coast of North Carolina, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. In 2003 she received her Bachelors of Graphic Design from North Carolina State University, where she concentrated her studies on typography and letterpress. After a range of design and letterpress experience, from IBM to Yee-Haw Industries, she landed in the Core Fellowship program at Penland School of Craft. While in the Core Fellowship, Eleanor investigated printed, drawn, carved, and painted lines on paper, metal, and enamel. In 2012 she relocated to Asheville, NC, where she was co founder and creative director of 7 Ton Design and Letterpress Company. In the Fall of 2017 she returned to Penland School of Craft as a resident artist. As a resident she spent 3 years exploring the sculptural potential of paper by creating folded paper forms, cast paper, and cardboard installations. In 2020 she relocated her studio to Asheville, NC. Eleanor’s current work centers on the intersection of art and design. Using meditative processes as a catalyst for calming compositions, her work evokes a soothing visceral response. Over the past 10 years her work has been shown regionally, nationally, and internationally.