Retired art teacher refines her style

by Laura Straub

Jeanne Henderson’s passion for art has inspired her to create in many ways over the years. Starting with enamels and fibers, the Brecksville resident’s style has evolved to include colored pencil, oils and mixed media, creating jewelry and illustrations along the way.

Henderson earned her bachelor of fine arts degree from Kent State, a master’s degree in education at Cleveland State, a diploma in fashion merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Cleveland and a certificate in jewelry design from the New York School of Art and Design. She has studied at the Cooper School of Art, the Cleveland Institute of Art and with various master artists over the years.

She’s also been an educator herself, teaching art at Bedford and Garfield city schools and a handful of Catholic schools. During her career, her favorite skill to teach was enameling, a course not offered at many schools. To this day, many of Henderson’s students create art, and she said hearing from them is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.

“I love hearing from my students,” Henderson said. “It’s just amazing; they’ve gone so far.”

Now, after more than 30 years as a teacher, Henderson is just beginning to define her artistic style.

“I retired from teaching six years ago, and now I get to do my own thing,” she said.

She assumed that would be enameling. But when the time spent in her enameling space at her basement home studio began to take away from time spent with her husband, she found she could set up and draw anywhere in her home and enjoy his company while she worked.

Henderson’s favorite subjects are animals, pet portraits, people and figurative art. She is working on a series of portraits called “Unencumbered.” The subjects are mainly women and children from Jamaica, all happy and intently working.

“They’re unencumbered by material possessions,” Henderson said. “And how beautiful they look with their smiles and their bright eyes, even though they have the bare necessities in life.”

Henderson found the photos that serve as inspiration for her illustrations through Al DeGaetano, a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Brecksville.

Henderson is also working on illustrating a book for her daughter, Cindy. When completed, it will join Henderson’s “Madonna of the Ways,” on bookshelves.

“Madonna of the Ways” includes 37 illustrations of the Virgin Mary doing ordinary activities, which is Henderson’s way of conveying that any life can be a life filled with prayer.

Mary also served as inspiration for some of Henderson’s other projects, including a line of greeting cards, a book called “Four Letters to Jesus,” which consists of Mary writing letters to Jesus at four points in his life, and a children’s story about Mary as a child.

Mary was also Henderson’s muse for a line of jewelry she created. The line includes earrings, a necklace, a pendant and a ring, among other pieces, that all subtly display the likeness of Mary.

“No one would really know at first glance that it’s Mary, unless you shared that with them,” she said.

To bring her jewelry designs to fruition, Henderson partnered with another Brecksville business, Finesse Fine Jewelry.

“I design the jewelry, but he [owner Ramiro Ortega] makes it for me,” she said.

Although Henderson devotes the majority of her time to personal projects and exploring her niche, retirement hasn’t kept her from teaching. She is a volunteer art instructor at the assisted living facility Jennings at Brecksville. Her work was included in its open house on Sept. 13.

“As a volunteer, the residents would ask about my artwork, so we thought it would be a good way to share something that I’ve done,” Henderson said. “… I think I had 30 pieces in that show.”

She donated a mixed-media piece made with weaving and paint and a large print on canvas that features a close-up of a horse’s eye, made from a reference photo provided by Brecksville business Clip-ity Clop Western Wear, to the silent auction at the annual Jennings gala.

The print was purchased by one of Henderson’s students from the center, and he ultimately donated it back to Jennings so it would be on display where Henderson teaches.

Henderson has thrived in the Brecksville art community since moving to the city five years ago. She said many local businesses support the arts.

“It is a wonderful area,” she said. “There are a lot of artists that live in Brecksville.”

Henderson spends half her year in Brecksville; in the winter she and her husband live in Florida.

Although she is currently in a state of transition, preparing to head south, her work can be found at Leopold’s Fine Furniture in Brecksville. To view her work, visit jeannehenderson.com.

 

Featured image photo caption: Jeanne Henderson displays a portrait. Photo by J. Kananian