About

I work in kiln fired paperclay creating quirky, whimsical figures that draw you in to deeply human stories.  My pieces are poised between the safety of whimsy and the darkness of the things we find hard to say.  Faces as well as objects convey vulnerability and evoke story lines.  Each figure is hand sculpted and hand painted in underglaze washes, typically fired multiple times to create a gritty, illustrative quality.

I have been studying and sculpting faces and figures in clay since I was very young.  But long ago I stopped following a dream and made a life. I was a mother and a wife and a successful business owner but not a dreamer.  A few years ago, I started to dream again.  I began sculpting my figures and gave myself permission to create whatever I wanted. No boundaries, no editing. No criticism. My only rule is to stay true to myself and listen to that inner voice that urges me on.  As a self-taught artist, people respond to a certain refreshing naivete and freedom in my work that is beyond the limits of usual convention.

My creative process begins with my sketch book and free drawing.  I draw intuitively allowing the sketch to take form.  I paint the drawings and then sculpt them in one day to keep the inspiration for the piece fresh.  Sculptures arise seemingly from nowhere.  At first, I have no idea why I’ve been compelled to create a particular piece.  But once complete, as I sit with my journal experiencing the completed work with open awareness, I begin to write.  The writing excavates some deeply conscious part of myself and I am astounded by a sudden recognition of meaning from my childhood or current experiences.

My sculpture is influenced by my love of clay animation, doll house miniatures and a pull to create a world of your own.  As a child, I spent hours playing with little figures and building miniature cities – immersed in these tiny pretend worlds.  I surrounded myself with illustration books from the library and relished the Daily News cartoons with my family each Sunday.  The mystery of found objects, the worn and weathered things that appear in my work – like hand-me-downs from my siblings – bring an ease and comfort.  Masks speak to explorations of vulnerability and to pretending to be someone you are not, both as a child and as an adult.

My work is like a found object or secret doorway inviting you into an entire world.

Education

Arts Students League, NYC

Mason Gross School of Art, Rutgers University

Work

Owner, Frame of Mind Gallery, Holmdel, NJ

1994 - 2017

You can see my art at Gallery Piquel in Lambertville, NJ and New Hope, PA

If you are interested in or have any questions about my works or my process, feel free to contact me.

Jeanine Pennell Briant

908-797-9356

bonetownstudio@gmail.com