Jan Penn is exhibiting her mixed media work this month at Red Door Gallery. Photo / Paul Brooks
Jan Penn is exhibiting her mixed media work this month at Red Door Gallery. Photo / Paul Brooks
Jan Penn describes her studio as unorganised chaos where anything is achievable by accepting a challenge and being motivated. Jan's mixed media work is being exhibited this month at Red Door Gallery in Putiki. Her art covers an array of styles and materials. She has called the exhibition Dream – Imagine– Create.
"I like to move out of my comfort zone and work out how to do other things," she says. There are objects within her work that have taken on new aspects and a whole new meaning. Try and find the Barbie doll, for example. Jan has taken various materials and let her imagination provide the glue. Even in just one work there is a variety of things. "I've used buttons, a doily, Powertex, stringy stuff, polystyrene, keys and an old picture frame." And voila! Art.
"You're using lots of different things and lots of different processes go to put it together." There's a simplicity in her work that belies the intricacies behind the thought and structure of Jan's art. "You have to think outside the square on how to attach things sometimes."
Jan tries not to create her work with a potential customer in mind. "You don't know what they like and they often don't know what they like either, until they see it."
Jan uses and teaches the use of Powertex, a natural, eco-friendly fabric hardener. It's also weatherproof, so some of her art can be placed outside. "Corrugated cardboard is a good friend: you can do so much with that," she says. Then you start to see it in the most unlikely places. Fabric comprises a large part of her work, either hardened or left naturally soft.
Jan started with photography and art as a child and left it behind for many years while working as a nurse. As a stay at home mum she picked up her art again then she returned to nursing until retirement.
She combines photography, sewing, painting, pottery, mosaics and using things like paper, clay, wood, china, fabric, paint, glues and beeswax in putting things together. "I started doing pottery with Ross Mitchell-Anyon." Jan has a lot of skills she can apply to her work. "More recently I have found inspiration producing eco-dyed journals and fabric." Examples are in the exhibition. Variety is the essence of the show and the viewer's attention is seized at every angle.
