Jeanine Pennell

Bonetown Studio

"My sculptures are like a found object or a secret doorway inviting you into another world. The faces are poised between the safety of whimsy and things we find hard to say."

Artist Jeanine Pennell creates quirky, whimsical figures that draw the viewer in to deeply human stories. Faces as well as objects convey vulnerability and evoke story lines. Early on she dreamed of being an artist but life’s responsibilities pulled her away. After turning 50 she began to dream again. She began creating her figures in clay. Her only rule being to stay true to the inner voice that urges her on.

Jeanine creates her sculptures from kiln fired stoneware paperclay. Employing hand building techniques she rolls out coils or creates pinch pots. Using her sketchbooks for inspiration each figure is hand sculpted and hand painted in underglaze washes, typically fired multiple times to create a gritty, illustrative quality.

Jeanine attended the Arts Students League in NYC studying figure sculpture. She also attended Mason Gross School of Art at Rutgers University. She left school early to raise her son and to open her own business. She owned and managed Frame of Mind Gallery in NJ until 2017.

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