Bain, Esta

Originally trained as a painter, Esta moved to the southwest in 1970 and discovered the medium of clay while taking pottery classes. “Once I began working with clay, I knew I was home.” It is the desert southwest where she derives her inspiration for the forms of Native American Women adorned in traditional dress, a child wrapped in a blanket in a woman’s arms or a women carrying a pot on her head. It is the process of creating her art which Esta enjoys the most, not necessarily the final result. “I love to see the working out to the completed piece. I like to use colors that make you feel good.” The warm, friendly persona of the artist herself is evident in each of her one-of-a-kind creations.

This artist has delighted people of all ages throughout the Southwest with her wonderful ceramic sculptures. The majority of figures are blanketed Indian women holding a child. The carved faces are serene & the total look of each piece is one of warmth, strength & security.
Bain uses a red iron oxide stain to enrich the color of the clay. She prefers low-fire clay to give a smooth finish. The colored glazes she uses for the blankets range from earth tones to brilliant royal blues. To some figures she adds fetishes or feathers. The result is a distinct Southwestern sculpture, which has won the Purchase Award two years in a row at the annual New Mexico Arts & Crafts Fair.
Esta’s style evolved through other media: drawing & pottery. Her ceramic sculptures are, indeed, eye-catching, & each has a personality all its own.