my own artwork

My name is Penny Rowe - I’m an Artist - I’m also the Director of Penny’s Community Arts (CIC) and since 2014 I’ve been sharing art in schools and around my community. Since the late 1990’s I’ve been rearing my six children whilst continuing my academic studies; as a carer I’ve developed patience and compassion which has supported my desire to share artistic understanding and create opportunities for others to make their own artwork. 

I’ve studied many disciplines including digital photography, wood carving, fine art and ceramics. I’ve attended the Leeds College of Art as well as at the Open College of The Arts. I’ve also spent time at the Swarthmore centre in Leeds where I explored ceramics. Despite studying art academically, I consider myself as primarily self-taught as I’ve had to fit my artistic understandings around my family life. I’ve spent many late nights teaching myself, studying art and learning new things.

I would describe myself as a materially curious person. I am deeply fascinated by new techniques and learning how things work – I like objects and I like to understand our relationship with them. In this sense my work is sculptural but it does interchange between two and three dimensions. My art practice is seated within cathartic processes, exploring relationships between innocence, authority and time. I am also interested in the Art Brut and Outsider Art movements.

As a working Artist, I believe it’s my ecological responsibility to make work that is as environmentally friendly as possible. I try to recycle where possible and source the best materials to support this ideology.