Penny Hall

Antler Gift Line

2012-02-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Antler Gift Line Location: BearFeather Studio


Artist: Penny Hall Item: Antler Gift Line Large Round *Dimensions: 11.5" x 2"*

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Antler Gift Line Small Round Dimensions: 6" x 2"

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Antler Gift Line Small Oblong Dimensions: 12" x 5" x 1.5"

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Antler Gift Line Large Oblong Dimensions: 13" x 6" x 2"

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Antler Gift Line Medium Free Form Dimensions: 8" x 7 x 5"

Ken just finished these new antler gift line photos of my hand sculpted leather blessing bowls. The antler gift line retails for under $100 and now includes the new luxurious colors and most recent styles using antlers and beads.

The new color stains are spectacular. I love the way they penetrate more fully allowing the natural grain of the leather to shine through. The colors are luxuriously rich and deep in tone. They remind me of the finest smooth Italian leather.

I am still experimenting with new colors but have chosen for now to include those shown above. The dark oak is the large round piece in the first photo. The other colors are best seen in the last photo of the collection of free form leather bowls. Left to right, top row first they are: cranberry red, goldenrod, midnight teal, cherry wood, and deep plum.

Antler with bead accent

Antler with leather accent

The new styles include the antler with leather accent and the antler with bead accent. This combination offers both a masculine and feminine look.

The perfect accent to any western or cabin decor I created these as decorative items. However, most people use them much like a basket to hold anything that is not wet. The perfect gift for men, many are used to hold jewelry, pocket change, keys, remote controls and wrapped candies. Others use them as alter pieces to hold sacred items.

As always I include a tag stating the bowl was handmade in Montana by Penny Hall. A scroll with my artist statement also comes with each piece. A copy of the artist statement can be found in the column to the left of this page.

I continue to search for new outlets and welcome all wholesale inquiries.

Thank you for your continued interest in my leather work.

Blessings,

Penny Hall, artist
Ennis, Montana

New Antler Pieces

2011-07-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2351 Location: BearFeather Studio

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2352 Location: BearFeather Studio


Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2253 Location: BearFeather Studio

I am having fun experimenting with the new antlers I received last fall. It is so much fun to find new ways to work the leather and antlers together.

My large patchwork piece sold this winter so I am working on some new bold designs. I will post photos as soon as they are complete.

Off to finish my latest collection and find homes for these.

New Gallery Designs

2010-05-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2238 Location: Primary Elements Gallery

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2175 Location: Primary Elements Gallery

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2239 Location: Primary Elements Gallery

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2103 Location: Primary Elements Gallery

A couple of my new galleries are taken with the more natural wood tone colors and the woven and free form designs. Here is a sampling of some of the new ones I created for them.

I have even more ideas for the woven ones. Back to the studio to see what magic awaits.

Spring Colors

2010-03-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2198 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2205 Location: Earthworks Gallery

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2196 Location: Earthworks Gallery

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2197 Location: Home Room

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2195 Location: Sold to Collector

The new color stains are delightful. The beauty of the leather shines through as I am learning to apply several pale washes of different colors.

My customers seem to like them as well. I am working on some new ideas using the colors and shredded leather. I am loving the infinite possibilities of color.

The Color Experiment

2010-02-11T19:28:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2177 Location: BearFeather Studio

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2190 Location: BearFeather Studio

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2186 Location: BearFeather Studio

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2187 Location: BearFeather Studio

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2189 Location: BearFeather Studio

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 2092 Location: BearFeather Studio

The discovery of colored stains opened a whole new world of play with my hand sculpted leather blessing bowls. Here are some of my first attempts.

The trick with the color is that no two pieces turn out the same. The color of the leather hide changes the color of the stain. So, matching colors will not be possible.

As with all my pieces each one is truly one of a kind.

Penny Hall

Patchwork

2009-12-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 114 Location: Creighton Block Gallery

This was created for a local fund raiser but did not sell at the event. I had the idea six months prior to the event. It is a patchwork of several belly pieces woven together. I stained each piece individually then wove them back together and tied them with leather pieces.

This was one of those ideas that sounded good at the time but turned out to be more challenging than I ever imagined. It is pretty spectacular.

Free Form Magic

2009-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 101 Location: Creighton Block Gallery

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 104 Location: Creighton Block Gallery

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 105 Location: Creighton Block Gallery

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 109 Location: Creighton Block Gallery

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 113 Location: Creighton Block Gallery

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 117 Location:

I must admit one of my favorite things is molding and sculpting the leather. It is such fun to see what it will do. Then I spend lots of time layering the stains until they look old and antiqued.

Antlers and Leather

2009-12-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: 116 Location: Creightonblock Gallery

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 115 Location: Creighton Block Gallery

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 112 Location: Creighton Block Gallery

I finally found some whole antlers and began to incorporate them with the sculpted leather. I must admit they do go well together. It will be fun to see what I can do this winter.

Layers

2009-12-04T13:23:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 106 Location: Sold to Collector

This piece I experimented in layers of leather with the antler accent.

Woven Leather

2009-12-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 87 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 90 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 91 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 92 Location: BearFeather Studio

I love the shapes of the natural edges of the hides, the belly pieces that stretch and the imperfections. One day I took several interesting pieces and wove them together using two different colors of stain.

Wall Hanging

2009-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 71 Location: Portiera Designs

This is a very large piece that hangs on the wall. I wanted to add some hair on hide to see what it would look like. The triangle piece under the antler button is elk.

Driftwood, Willows and Bones

2009-12-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 84 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 81 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 93 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 82 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 83 Location: BearFeather Studio

Perhaps it is my Native American heritage that draws me to natural elements. I am not sure, but these are the result of me experimenting with bones, willows and driftwood.

More Large Designs

2009-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 52 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 56 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 62 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 70 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 73 Location: Portiera Designs

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 74 Location: Portiera Designs

I began to experiment with adding lacing and antlers. I always keep the natural edges, brands and unique characteristics of the leather.

To me they make the pieces more interesting.

My First Gallery Collection

2009-11-23T05:30:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 45 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 48 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 51 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 57 Location: Sold to Collector

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 55 Location: Sold to Collector

Here are a few of the pieces in my first gallery collection. These sold quickly at a local fund raiser and two new galleries.

My First Large Gallery Piece Sells

2009-11-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 49 Location: Sold to Collector

I began to create larger one of a kind pieces to sell in galleries. This is one of the pieces in that first group.

A close friend of mine fell in love with the piece and purchased it. That gave me the confidence to allow myself to enjoy creating more of the free form style I enjoyed in the beginning.

The Swan

2009-11-21T08:36:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: Gallery 50, The Swan Location: My Private Collection

One day after cutting out a large number of pieces I was left with a strangely odd shape. Bored with the same old shapes it seemed to call to me to mold it and see what would happen. This was the result.

A friend of mine called it a swan and the name stuck. The story of the ugly duckling that turns into the swan seemed to fit nicely.

A couple of years ago a gentleman offered me a handsome sum for this piece. Without thinking I blurted out that it was not for sale.

Later I realized why. The workmanship reflects the challenges I experienced with my sight. It remains in my private collection as a reminder of how blessed I am to have restored my vision.

Antler Gift Line Is Born

2009-11-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: My Antler Gift Line Location: BearFeather Studio and numerous outlets

We live in a small rural town in Montana with a population of about eight hundred people. Summer tourists provide most of our income. Since my retail outlets were local I found it necessary to expand my business to other markets.

Unable to drive to show my art I turned to the internet to find new retail outlets. I found eighteen that first winter. Several of those continue to represent me to this day.

I continue to search for new outlets and welcome all wholesale inquiries.

My First Collection

2009-11-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: My First Collection Location: Sold

It was a year and a half before my driving privileges were restored. Constantly changing sight forced me to learn to do many things differently.

My entire focus in life shifted. I learned to ask for and receive help since I could not drive or see well enough to read a menu. I found new ways to do the things I wanted to accomplish.

I focused more on giving thanks for the blessings I already had and the bowls grew along with my new consciousness.

I created an artist statement to accompany each piece along with a tag stating it was handmade in Montana by Penny Hall.

A couple of local outlets represented me and my pieces sold very well.

My Second Leather Bowl

2009-11-18T07:52:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: My Second Bowl Location: Sold at Auction

I donated the second bowl I created to a local fund raiser where it brought $450.00 toward the cause. I was shocked.

I decided to make several pieces and try selling them at our local arts festival. It seemed like a good way to make some extra money to help with medical costs.

A few days before the show my retina detached. I was in bed recovering from yet another eye surgery unable to attend the show.

I was also unemployed due to the eye problems and needed a way to create income. So, I began to search for outlets for the pieces I had already created.

With the help of Blind and Low Vision Services I learned to use magnifying tools and lights to assist me as I began to build my new art business.

How It All Began

2009-11-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

Artist: Penny Hall Item: My First Bowl Location: My Private Collection

I saw a photograph of a leather bowl when searching for something to do in between eye surgeries. I was fascinated by the fact that the leather would hold its shape.

When the doctor told me I was legally blind I did not want my mind to accept it. I wanted to do something to prove to myself I was NOT blind. So, this seemed like a really good project.

It turned out to be better than I ever imagined. I had no idea at the time what a journey lay ahead of me.

This is the first bowl I created.