Houston Visual Artist Network
"Artists helping artists to succeed"
Artist - Joanne Kendall
I am a self-taught artist. My creative path took me through a wide range of textile arts, then
metalsmithing, into sculptural welding and finally making mobiles and stabiles. I use many of the
techniques I’ve learned from working with other media in my current work. While my pieces are quite
different than any of the pieces made by Alexander Calder, his work remains a tremendous inspiration.
Today I enjoy the challenge of creating balance and motion with a wide variety of objects. Many of my
mobiles are made using found object and repurposed materials. Using techniques and tools from many
of my previous creative endeavors, I create pieces that inspire smiles.
A self-taught artist, curiosity and a passion for learning led Joanne Kendall to her first metalsmithing class. She moved to Houston at the start of 2011 and has found the city environment very conducive to creativity. More recently she has taken a series of classes and workshops in welding and sculpture. Her current interests include kinetic sculpture made from a variety of materials as well as sculpting in steel.
Seeing the beauty in and finding a new purpose for unwanted and/or discarded items drives Joanne Kendall’s work. Her passion for working with torches and metal provides the perfect support structure for whimsical and thoughtful mobiles created from steel, copper and repurposed materials. Influenced by the work of Alexander Calder and George Rickey, Joanne strives to create colorful, well-balanced pieces that invite the viewer to interact with them, creating kinetic sculpture that moves at the slightest touch.
