Gable

Ellany Gable: I took my first clay class as an elective during college. I loved throwing clay so much, the hair stood up on the back of my neck. I let 20 years go by to raise my family and got back into it about 10 years ago. I chose Callicoon, NY, as the place to make my pots simply because of [its] beauty. Nestled on the hilltop of a 50-acre farm, I am surrounded by the foothills of the Catskill Mountains and by beautiful people.

     As a potter, I made beautiful bowls, but I often heard people say, “Gee, I hate to put such a beautiful bowl like that in the cupboard,” or “I don’t have any shelf space for that bowl.” So, I created a bowl that was strung with leather and hung it on the wall. One day, I noticed how light was shining in and out of the bowl and decided I really needed to make some light fixtures.

Tipi.

     I started doing lighting about five years ago. The lighting pieces are beautiful, make great conversation pieces and are functional as well as decorative. The only difference between my bowls and serveware and the stoneware lighting is that there is a bulb within each piece of pottery.

    I work in earth tones, mainly Tuscany yellow, Indian red and satin black. The finish on the inside of my fixtures is copper, which emits a beautiful glow. The copper really makes for a very warm feeling. It almost looks like the glow of a fire.

Tribal.

    The Tipi fixture was inspired by the time I spent on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. There, I learned to really appreciate the basics of earth, air, water and fire. The experience seemed to fit perfectly with working in clay, since those four elements are really all that is needed. I have always been inspired by the different cultures that make up our world. Through working with clay, I strive to create the “meeting place” that we each relate to. The tactile nature of my designs speaks at once to the fingertips. To the eye, my designs are something familiar, warm and peaceful.

    Right now, I have hanging fixtures, table lamps and wall sconces. I love to do site-specific work from blueprints, in person or with virtual space coordination. I welcome custom work.