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Turquoise Trail Lavender Farmer, Painter, and Photographer Penny Winn
 Have you ever wanted to paint something that didn’t necessarily fit together? That was me with this painting. Horses running through a poppy field. It would never happen, but I just wanted to paint it anyway. No one in their right mind would allow their field of poppies to be ruined by horses, especially if they are a farmer like me. However, the painter in me really wanted to paint it… I could see the colors, the young foal and her mother just frolicking at sunset in the poppies. I really wanted to make it happen and isn’t that what being a painter is about making the unreal, real. Or as real as a painting can be? This painting isn't finished I still have a great deal of detail work to do on the horses, I need to bring them to life as it were but I like to put work here that I am working on so you can see my process as it were. So today this is what I am working on. Thanks for coming by so you can see where I am in the world.
I am wishing that I could be out walking with my dogs. I am truly missing my walks; the great outdoors is calling me. For those who have not been keeping up with the Blog I have broken my leg and I have been confined to crutches for now. I am 4 weeks in… SIGH!!! For the longest time my leg was not healing. But good news the leg is now showing signs of healing and I am on the road to recovery. Living on a 4 wheel road has it’s advantages but not with a broken leg. The lavender farm in winter is at rest so I am painting away and working on the business side of things for my ART business and the business of the farm. I am seeing to healing and learning all I can learn about selling art and putting lavender sachet together for the gallery and getting more paintings done for shows the gallery and online sales. It is good to learn and grow in all thing’s art and farming! Life is good.
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 Wildlife artist Penny Winn has created a new painting of a koala bear. She did this because Australia is in the midst of a catastrophic early fire season. As dozens of fires rage the animals of Australia have taken center stage in the media. Even though wildlife artist isn’t from Australia she knows the perils of these dying animals and wants people to see them and hopefully help to do something for them. Images of burned and dying koalas are all over the news, they seem to be the symbol for the fires. People are asking if the koala bear are now going to be finally consider extinct since they will no longer be able to have enough of the only food source, they eat the eucalyptus plant. They are now being seen to drink water which they never do since the plant has enough water to sustain them. With the fires taking this vital resource the koalas are going down from the top of the trees to the forest floor to find what they need. They are desperate to find what they need. They are so slow they can not get out the of the way of traffic, the fires, and other things that will slowly or quickly kill them. It is imperative that we find a way to change what we are doing as a society and look at what we are doing to our wildlife and look how nature is changing. We need to put their needs ahead of our own before we no longer have them. Soon it won’t just be the koalas. So many animals are struggling… Artist Penny Winn is looking at ways to put this painting and its proceeds in the Australian relief fund for Koalas and other animals in need. If you know anything about this, please contact her. Thanks
 Artist Penny Winn and her friend Peg at Ghost Ranch on the Georgia O Keeffe tour Ghost Ranch is a 21,000-acre retreat and education center located close to the village of Abiquiú in Rio Arriba County in north central New Mexico, United States. It was a dude ranch and the home and studio of Georgia O'Keeffe, as well as the subject of many of her paintings. As an artist I was compelled to go and visit her home away from home.
Every summer she made the trek to her beloved home tucked in the hills in Abiquiu, New Mexico. She would go in her car and find places to paint in the New Mexico light. She was fascinated with different mountain ranges and the way the light went down different rock formations. I am loving looking at her art and learning from her. I look at what she has produced and not necessarily emulate her as I am not a abstract artist but love it and grow from her work. I have painted many landscapes with very little success... However, I do paint abstract type backgrounds behind all of my portraits whether they be people or animals. I am trying to get better with my backgrounds as I believe that this will help to get my paintings much better. Even though Ms. O'Keeffe was not the same type of artist that I am. I believe that you can learn from every artist and that you should learn from them. Every style can teach you! Learning from them will only make you better. As she learned from the environment, the death of the cow, the mountain, the flower. I am doing the same with the animals. As a wildlife artist I am attracted to the animal, I do mostly portraits of the animals, then add the backgrounds. As O'Keeffe showed her amazing backgrounds - hers might have been stark. Mine are usually full of grasses, and colors. I have been putting fun colors of gold, copper, and silvers... I never paint without white and purple. This is unusual for a watercolor artist. Most reverse paint and leave the paper white, which I will do as well, but I will add Chinese White, and at times Gauche because I want to add it on top of what I have already painted. I do this mainly because I started painting as an oil painter... I paint dry painting. I do a little wet painting but not much. I love the look. It works for me. My friend Peg and I went to go see Ghost Ranch when my leg wasn't broken! I was thinking about it while I was sitting here today and wanted to share my thoughts on how I paint, the need to look at other artist while you are looking for inspiration, and just learning for others. I do hope that it helps you as you are growing in your art! I am always learning and growing in my art. It keeps growing and hopefully getting better. I thank you for checking in on me.  Soldier and Dog Watercolor and Ink Portrait Painting - 1st Place Winner - Veteran's Creative Arts Festival, 2020, by Artist Penny Winn WOW! What a happy day!
My art took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the Raymond G. Murphy Veterans Creative Arts Festival. The Main divisions for the festival are Music, Art, Creative Writing, Drama and Dance. Local winners go on to compete at the national level via digital images and videotape. The Visual Arts entries will be on display from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. Feb 11-15, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on in the Recreation Hall (Building 2). The Performance Arts competition takes place from 1-3 p.m. on March 2 in the Education Auditorium (Building 39). A closing ceremony is set for 1-2 p.m. on February 15 in the Recreation Hall. First-place winners from local competition may be invited to the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival taking place in Tacoma, Washington during the week of Oct. 29 to Nov. 5, 2020. The National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, presented by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Legion Auxiliary, is the culmination of a yearlong, fine arts talent competition involving more than 3,000 participants nationwide. The festival is open to all veterans receiving care at VA medical facilities. My 1st place art piece was the Soldier and the dog. I am very honored that the VA has chosen my piece. We will find out who took best in show at the Feb 15th closing ceremony. Thanks everyone for all of their support during the process. So excited about all of the next steps in the process. Well I did it! I put my art in the:
Veterans Creative Arts Festival Raymond G. Murphy Veteran's Affair Medical Center I did it in three different categories. I will keep you posted how I do. The first step is the state... Next will be Nationals if I do well here! Keep me in your prayers! THANKS In the Following Three Categories… Special Health Mental Health Challenges: Three Zebras by: Penny Winn Painted 2019 I started painting as a way to control my pain and deal with my PTSD. It helps me to let go of the war and find joy in life again. By focusing on wildlife and things not in my past and the things that I have seen I can see the beauty that is all around me and not the nightmares that plague me. I have found a way to see past what used to haunt me always. I find if I paint 5 or more hours a day, I am so much happier. I can escape and be blessed in life again. By finding expression in wildlife I am moving past many things that used to hold me back. The zebra painting is tranquil and calms the heart, I do love many creatures in Africa, but I am not limited to painting them. I paint any animal that strikes me. Military Combat Experience: Soldier and Dog by: Penny Winn Painted 2019 When I was in the Gulf War I was stationed in medivac. Every day we would get calls to go to soldiers who were out doing their mission. We would never go to places that the soldiers were safe, and they were unharmed. These soldiers were in the mix, the battle heavy, or finished. I was always intrigued by the dogs that remained loyal in the fight, that could stand the noise and never leave their sides. I would see such comfort there. So much chaos, and yet, they remained steadfast. I painted this soldier and his dog as a reminder of those who I saw there. I never had one of my own, but I did see them in my time in the military and would like to honor them with this painting. Watercolor: Rhino by: Penny Winn Painted 2019 This whimsical watercolor of the rhino is filled with fun colors and the dandelion seeds escaping up into the air around him. It is just an expressive way to play with the paint and show the lightheartedness of the rhino in a bright and inviting environment. |
Penny WinnWelcome to my Blog! I’m Penny Winn. I hope that you can take some time to view my blog and get to know a little about me; what I do with Wedding Photography and Watercolor Painting. Please grab some coffee (or a tea , in my case) and enjoy viewing my latest work, a little about life in Madrid, New Mexico, my lavender farm, my dogs and wonderful husband Lyric, and getting a little peek into our life! I’m thrilled you stopped by! Archives
February 2020
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