Known as “The Whistle Lady,” Donna Penoyer is an award-winning jewelry artist and master instructor, working in metal clay since 2005.

Donna was inspired to learn everything about metal clay after seeing photos of Celie Fago’s work in 2002. She ate up jewelry books and magazines but didn’t dare to try metal clay until 2005, when she leapt directly into a certification class. Donna has passed five certifications in the Camp Metal Clay, PMC Connection and Rio Grande programs and has studied under many amazing jewelry artists in all sorts of exciting media.

Donna’s whistles are purely for joy and metaphor. Her whistle amulets and other jewelry pieces have appeared in multiple publications, including Robert Dancik’s Amulets and Talismans, Sherri Haab’s The Art of Metal Clay, Hattie Sanderson’s Contemporary Metal Clay Rings, and all five volumes of PMC Guild Annual: Exceptional Work in Precious Metal Clay.

Donna’s whistle ring “Journey Companion” was chosen for a book cover, and a companion piece, “Journey Below,” was awarded Best of Show in an exhibit at Purdue University. Juried exhibitions have included the Pôle Bijou gallery in Baccarat, France; a world-touring, collaborative exhibit via the International Society of Glass Beadmakers; and a solo show at WAX Jewelry Design Studio in Pittsburgh’s chic Shadyside neighborhood.

Since 2006, Donna’s main love has been teaching. She has been fortunate to have taught at Hadar Jacobson’s studio in Berkeley, CA, Tracey Spurgin’s Craftworx in East Yorkshire, England, and Inge Verbruggen’s studio in Belgium. Other teaching credits include Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Touchstone Center for Crafts, the Bead & Button Show, Metal Clay Mojo, and Metal Clay Artists’ Symposium. Donna was one of ten artists chosen for Whole Lotta Whimsy’s Master Muses jewelry challenges, and she has been a featured instructor many times on CRAFTCAST with Alison Lee.