When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

Growing up, I never thought of myself as particularly creative. I always believed writing was my strength. It was only when I was looking for a get-my-hands-dirty-stress-reliever activity in response to a stressful job that I began to sculpt in clay. That was 20 years ago and I’ve never looked back!

Who are the artists that have had the greatest influence on you and why?

My greatest influencers have been some of my Edmonton mentors: Fran Cuyler and Ritchie Velthuis. They have taught me by example and through experience. They have given me the technique and the “eye” to do what I do and have encouraged my growth.

I am also influenced by Blake Ward, a former Edmontonian who now lives in Monaco. He is a classically trained figurative sculptor. For the last few years he has been fragmenting his realistic figures and this inspires me to experiment with my own realistic portraits. I aspire to achieve the kind of feelings his work evokes in me.

Art by Ellie Shuster

What is the inspiration behind your artwork?

I have always been captivated by faces – even as a child I was drawn to masks and portraits. I am challenged and motivated to capture the “spark” and personality of my subject so s/he is instantly recognizable. It is important that my portraits be technically correct but not picture-perfect. I love the sense that my “fingerprints” are on the faces.

I’m inspired by a sense of fun in my work – moulding my portraits and cold-casting them in bronze or using vivid resin and mounting them on “FaceBooks” and creating other products with them. Marrying my art with 3D technology has allowed me to miniaturize my portraits to create pendants, pins, key chains and even earrings. My sense of humour inspires these collectable products.

Now I am taking my more serious portraits and exploring their ephemeral nature. I want to evoke a sense of mystery and depth that one does not feel with a fully formed face. I am inspired by the concept of the intangible – moving from realism to abstraction.

What is distinctive about your art that sets it apart from others?

It is fair to say there really is nothing like my work out there. Very few sculptors delve into portraiture – and even fewer adapt it in the ways I do. Whether looking at a bronze portrait, a FaceBook, pendant or one of my Fractured Faces, people tell me they have never seen anything quite like it. And that keeps me going!

Art by Ellie Shuster

What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

Be a sponge and take inspiration where you can. Practice, practice, practice… and experiment.

Describe the environment or your studio in which you create. Do you have any artmaking rituals?

I have two working studios… The sculpture studio where I work in clay is in my home. It has a “rouges gallery” of pictures of my subjects covering one wall, and wire racks on the other. I laid a tile floor for easy clean-up and have a great anti-fatigue mat… my salvation, since my two cats occupy the chair and stool respectively. My bench and table sit near the window, and the room is filled with music or CBC.

My other studio is “the lab” which I share with my partner in his basement. It has all the equipment, metal, chemicals and protective gear needed to create moulds and cast my work. Unfortunately for him, my moulds have taken over the space… spilling over from the shelving and onto the floor… but I am fortunate he is easy going about these things!

What destination around the world most inspires your work?

European cities are filled with sculpture – their buildings are beautifully adorned with carvings, gargoyles, and figures. Just looking up at the European architecture fills my soul. In addition, the many sculpture galleries of Paris have been hugely inspirational… especially the Rodin museum.

Art by Ellie Shuster

Did you go to art school or are you self-taught? What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned along the way?

I learned to sculpt by taking workshops from some of Edmonton’s fine sculptors – through the City Arts Centre, Harcourt House and in St. Albert. Beyond that, I have no training. I am enormously grateful to the artists who share their talent and expertise… and have learned to take whatever workshops and classes I can to hone my skills, stretch and explore the world of sculpture.

If you could have any superpower, which would you choose?

I’d like to fly. I don’t know why…. that’s just me! The explorer I guess….

Where can people find you online?

My work is available year-round at Gossamer Gallery in Wabamun Alberta and the Black Star Studio in Invermere BC.

Website: www.behindthefaces.ca
Instagram: @EllieShusterSculptor

Facebook: Portraits in Clay