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JANEL JACOBSON

 

 

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Janel Jacobson 

 

Janel Jacobson's inspiration comes from the natural world around her rural home.  An intimate look at creatures and plants in their environment yields themes with elements of serenity or surprise.

 

Her work points out little things in nature that most of us tend to disregard during our busy lives, and might present a small story that arouses quiet memories in the mind of the viewer.

After 25 years of working with clay, Janel came to be a carver of wood.  Interest in carving began while she learned to make pottery.  As a maker of functional pottery in the early and mid-1970s, she combined drawing, clay, and her love of nature to begin carving on tiles and pottery vases for short periods of challenging and stimulating exploration.

 

In the late '70s compelled by a need to carve new ideas, Janel began carving for increasing periods of time exploring new ideas and methods.  She always returned to making pottery for income until the mid-1980's when she decided to stop pottery making, to devote all her time to carving.  At that time, Janel was carving images in shallow-relief on wheel-thrown, porcelain lidded boxes, vases, and shallow bowl forms which were then enhanced with celadon glaze.

 


1972 Received a B.A. Degree in Art from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa.


1975 Established Sunrise Pottery in Sunrise, Minnesota.
Pottery was sold from the studio and at regional art fairs.


1986 Stopped pottery making to carve porcelain lidded boxes, shallow bowls, and small vases. 1981-1997 Porcelain carvings were exhibited in Shows, Solo, Invitational & Group Exhibitions.


1990 Began to carve small sculptural porcelain netsuke and ojime, continued shallow-relief carving on boxes, bowls, vases.


1995 Began carving wood: netsuke, ojime, and netsuke-like small sculptures, and stopped carving porcelain.


2005 The internet forum, The Carving Path, was begun by Janel Jacobson, the owner/administrator.


2008 Enduring Vision Artist Award ~ Five-year fellowship ~ Archibald Bush Foundation Awards: both wood and porcelain

 

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