PENNY

Client: N/A
Size: 4”t x 5.5”d x 3”w
Material: Bronze
Cost: Contact for pricing

Penny was all attitude — the first to the food, the first to complain, and the first to squeal the moment her sister got any attention. She’d march over to see what I was doing, realize I wasn’t holding snacks, and wander off like she had more important places to be.

Red River hogs aren’t exactly built for dramatic silhouettes, so capturing Penny meant focusing on the way she moved rather than waiting for some heroic pose. She spent most of her time rooting, pacing, or throwing side-eye at the zookeeper whenever her sister got a scrap of affection — so I used that energy to push the gesture, lifting one back leg and emphasizing the ridge along her back and the shape of her snout. Structurally, she’s basically a compact, muscular mass, which made the ears and their tufts of hair the real sculptural challenge. I handled most of the form on-site and worked with the foundry to weld and shape the tiny bronze rods that became those tufts, since casting them cleanly wasn’t realistic at this scale. The zookeeper kept the whole session lively, reacting to Penny’s squeals with, “Oh my god, Penny, it sounds like you’re in the slaughterhouse,” which felt pretty on-brand for her. The final piece carries that mix of attitude, motion, and stubborn personality that made Penny unforgettable.