sean o’connell – The Penland Sketchbook

Meet Sean O’Connell, Penland Resident Artist.

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Hi, my name is Sean O’Connell. I’ve been a potter, amongst other things, for the better part of 20 years.

For me, making by hand is a deliberate attempt at slowing down, connecting to something deeper, and taking time to appreciate the pleasure of labor.

Penland has been home for the last 2½ years. During that time, I’ve continued to pursue pottery as well as branching out into sculptural work, painting, wood carving, and making calligraphy brushes.

All of these different parts of my practice are threaded together by a common theme of utility and self-expression.

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Applications for the Penland Resident Artist program are open through July 2.

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Please enjoy a small selection of Sean’s work and process:

Works in progress, 2024

Firing the wood kiln at The Barns

Funny Bean, acrylic, ink, collage, paper on panel

Brush-mark Platter, stoneware, slip, glaze

Assorted Handmade brushes

Serving dish, stoneware, slip, glaze

Hand-carved, wooden spoons

Brush-mark Sculpture, stoneware , slip, pigment

Penland wood kiln at The Barns

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Discover more of Sean’s work HERE.

During our recent Fall Short Session, clay instructor Andy Shaw and his students visited Daniel Garver and Sean O’Connell, two Penland Resident Artsits who are currently working in clay. The first stop was Daniel Garver’s studio, pictured below.

Wrapping up a day of plate-making, the clay lovers walked down to The Barns after dinner to talk shop.

Though both residents work in clay, their processes are very different. Daniel Garver is using his residency to refine and expand his use of slipcasting to create clean, geometric objects.

Daniel shared some of the secrets of his work, from the challenges of working with porcelain to his use of “deflocculent” in his process.

Daniel’s work is linear, organic, and colorful!

Fall Short Session instructor Andy Shaw was intrigued by Daniel’s unique use of molds

When students arrived at Sean O’Connell’s studio, he was busy carving wooden spoons.

Sean is mastering the use of the wood kiln and exploring organic, spontaneous surface design in his work.

Students had lots of questions, the most common one being, “How did you make this one?”

Making use of wax resists, multiple firings, and gestural embellishments, Sean’s work is a cornucopia of texture and color.

Penland is currently home to eight resident artists, working in different media. The residency is intended to be an opportunity to test ideas and take risks that will have a lasting effect on their work and lives. Penland Resident Artists live and work at Penland for 3 years. Both Sean and Daniel arrived at Penland in the fall of 2021, so we are looking forward to watching their practices evolve over the next two years.

You can visit Sean’s and Daniel’s websites to learn more about their work. If you’re in the area, don’t miss the opportunity to stop by for a visit!

Sean O’Connell’s Work is About the Pleasure of the Handmade

Visiting Penland’s Resident Clay Artists