Jennie McCall

An avid forager and collector as a child, Jennie saw the beauty in nature on seaside trips and walks in the woods, collecting pebbles and shells as curated treasures. Flowers and leaves were pressed into books to be discovered years later and used now in many of Jennie's ceramic decals.

After leaving school, Jennie gained a BA Hons in Graphic Design and in her final year, she was awarded the Royal Society of Arts winner Design Award in illustration. Jennie was already using various media for her illustrations including embroidery, ceramics and photo montage. Pushing the boundaries of visual marketing in a traditionally male dominated environment, she found herself moving away from commercial design and more towards fine art and ‘making’. For many years, Jennie focussed on textiles and mixed media. As her family grew and moved on, Jennie took opportunities to study and develop new areas of interest including rekindling her early love for ceramics. Jennie has now been working and focussing on ceramics and sculpture for around 20 years.

A major element of Jennie's practice is research and drawing. She cites that her sketchbooks are, "more precious to me than the finished work itself, containing detailed observational drawings, pressed flowers, photographs etc. I have a collection of sketchbooks and journals which are now a historical record of my art practice from early years to present date." Jennie is currently focusing on a series of animal studies related to myth and mythology. She states that she is, "interested in the ‘spirit’ of the animal and its symbolic role in nature and folklore."