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Winged Seed by Jeanne Argent
For her sculptures, Jeanne models in clay and casts mainly in cement – a material which she loves – for her outdoor work. She is experienced in wood- and stone-carving, ceramics (because she enjoys “playing with clay”), painting, print-making and fabric collage. Phew!
As if that isn’t enough, Jeanne also loves gardening, saying: “It is creative but in a different way. You are nurturing small plant seedlings and turning them into trees and big plants. Plants are an influence in that nearly all my pieces are botanically based.” Her art is her passion because it is a way of life, raison d’etre. But it wasn’t always the case…
Jeanne’s childhood did not particularly revolve around the arts. It wasn’t until she was in secondary school that an art teacher had a hunch that she “had something” and arranged for a place at the local art school for Saturday morning class.
Jeanne’s first lessons in art school taught her to look at things. “Once you learn how to look, you don’t stop looking… Where would we be without looking at things or seeing things or thinking about things?
Tidal River by Jeanne Argent
To make you think about things you don’t necessarily think about?” She believes that this contributes to the role of an artist in the world: to make it a better and saner place.
Then, at 16, she went on a full-time foundation course. Since she left school, and over a period of time, Jeanne continued most of her art education through part-time classes.
It was during a course at the Guildford Adult Education Institute that Jeanne heard the best advice ever given. Her tutor, Trevor Collis, when presented with something that had been broken, said, “Nothing is ever broken, it is only ever hinged. You can repair anything.”
Jeanne adds, “When you get to the stage when you think it is rubbish, let it go for a bit and then come back to it and you find that it isn’t rubbish – that it just needs some work.”
It is this perseverance and patience that are integral to the work of an artist. But Jeanne believes that a sense of humour is the most important thing of all - in life, generally, not just in sculpture.