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Jennifer grew up in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, as her father’s work
tracking satellites for the Smithsonian took the family around the globe. She
majored in art and economics at Wellesley; more than a decade later, she went
back for a second bachelor’s in art from Massachusetts College of Art. Today,
she’s settled into tiny, quaint Concord, Massachusetts, where she lives in a
snug Cape Cod with a beautiful flower garden in the front and a lush vegetable
garden in back. “My favorite thing is to make fresh salsa with ingredients
picked from the garden. It’s so delicious.”
Her studio in nearby Maynard is
in a former middle school that houses 70 artists. “It’s in the basement and has
only a tiny window, but it used to be the art room, so it has a nice vibe.” To
make one of her sculptures, she buys pencils several gross at a time. “I used to
sharpen each tiny piece with a small hand sharpener. After years of blisters, I
realized I could plug each piece into the chuck of an electric drill, insert the
free end into the hand sharpener, and let the drill do the turning.” She listens
to high-energy music while she works. “I like rockabilly or punk for sharpening.
When I’m sewing the sculptures, I listen to something more low key.”
(e) With “Pelt,” Jennifer wanted to make a flexible sculpture that mimicked an
animal skin. “You can rearrange any way you wish and play with it.” (f)
When Jennifer stitched the last pencil piece in place, the top reminded her of
an owl’s face, so she named it “Owl.” (g)Sculptures like “Luna,” which
Jennifer made for a basket show, can use 4,000 pencil stubs or more.
(h) To reduce the static electricity that causes shavings to cling to her hand when
she sharpens pencils, Jennifer lays a baby wipe in the tray where she catches
the shavings. The results—intriguing, colorful accidental art she hangs above
her workbench. (i) Modeled after the figurines Egyptians put in their tombs
to keep the dead company, “Shabti” is another piece inspired by Jennifer’s
interest in ancient cultures.
Jewelry box
Jennifer began making pencil jewelry as a fun way to defray the
costs of the food and drink she set out for visitors on open studio days. To
create the pieces, she glues blocks of pencils together, slices them at varying
angles, and then laminates them. “People coming to an open studio aren’t likely
to pay several thousand dollars for a sculpture, but the jewelry has done very
well.”
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