Penny Crawford
Artist Bio
Penny was born and raised in Louisiana. Her parents, Frances and Bill Wallace, were long time residents of Lafayette. Educated at LSU and USL, Penny and her family eventually moved to Slidell, LA where they remained for 38 years. They moved to Diamondhead, MS just prior to the time of hurricane Katrina. Drawing and an interest in nature were always a part of Penny’s life. With both parents being artistic, Penny was inspired to continue a variety of expressions from portraits to botanicals to marsh scenes to local icons. Learning about different mediums has also been an ongoing process. Portraits of people, pets or houses are worked in charcoal, pen and ink or pastel. Botanical paintings of plant materials are drawn in pen and ink and painted in vibrant watercolor; crabs and local fish are painted using acrylic paint or watercolor and marsh scenes are painted using pastels inherited from her dad.
A love of detail is the highlight of much of Penny’s work. As an avid gardener, wildflower enthusiast and observer of nature, Penny strives to bring those elements to life on paper or canvas. Her botanical paintings are drawn from living plant material and include not only the beautiful color and shape of the plants, but also may include bug holes and tears that occur naturally. As influenced by her Master Flower Show Judge training, arranging and staging of the plant material is also an important factor in her botanical paintings. An interest in sharing her techniques has led her to teach recent classes for painting students on Botanical Watercolor Painting.
Penny has been a member of The Arts Hancock in Mississippi and the St. Tammany Pastel Society in Louisiana. Her work has been on exhibit in public buildings in Bay St. Louis, MS and Slidell, LA. Donated works have gone to support The Mississippi Gulf Coast Pilgrimage, Breast Cancer Support’ and other local charities and public fund raisers.
Artist Statement
As an artist, I have never found my expression in the words of books on art or esoteric theories. Instead, I just love to draw and paint. Fortunately it seems to be somewhat natural for me to draw what I see. I love the details and colors of nature, the expressions in children’s faces, the way a pen can describe a home, the way pastels can express the color and texture of a pet’s fur, the vibrancy of acrylic paint and the way watercolor paint flows and glows. If I am able to share this with others, then my experience is complete.
Penny was born and raised in Louisiana. Her parents, Frances and Bill Wallace, were long time residents of Lafayette. Educated at LSU and USL, Penny and her family eventually moved to Slidell, LA where they remained for 38 years. They moved to Diamondhead, MS just prior to the time of hurricane Katrina. Drawing and an interest in nature were always a part of Penny’s life. With both parents being artistic, Penny was inspired to continue a variety of expressions from portraits to botanicals to marsh scenes to local icons. Learning about different mediums has also been an ongoing process. Portraits of people, pets or houses are worked in charcoal, pen and ink or pastel. Botanical paintings of plant materials are drawn in pen and ink and painted in vibrant watercolor; crabs and local fish are painted using acrylic paint or watercolor and marsh scenes are painted using pastels inherited from her dad.
A love of detail is the highlight of much of Penny’s work. As an avid gardener, wildflower enthusiast and observer of nature, Penny strives to bring those elements to life on paper or canvas. Her botanical paintings are drawn from living plant material and include not only the beautiful color and shape of the plants, but also may include bug holes and tears that occur naturally. As influenced by her Master Flower Show Judge training, arranging and staging of the plant material is also an important factor in her botanical paintings. An interest in sharing her techniques has led her to teach recent classes for painting students on Botanical Watercolor Painting.
Penny has been a member of The Arts Hancock in Mississippi and the St. Tammany Pastel Society in Louisiana. Her work has been on exhibit in public buildings in Bay St. Louis, MS and Slidell, LA. Donated works have gone to support The Mississippi Gulf Coast Pilgrimage, Breast Cancer Support’ and other local charities and public fund raisers.
Artist Statement
As an artist, I have never found my expression in the words of books on art or esoteric theories. Instead, I just love to draw and paint. Fortunately it seems to be somewhat natural for me to draw what I see. I love the details and colors of nature, the expressions in children’s faces, the way a pen can describe a home, the way pastels can express the color and texture of a pet’s fur, the vibrancy of acrylic paint and the way watercolor paint flows and glows. If I am able to share this with others, then my experience is complete.
