Penny is an adventurous artist, she sees no reason to settle on any one art form. Or two. Or three for that matter.

When she sees a new form of art she cannot wait to try her hands at it! This is evident in the wide variety of art forms she has learned over the years: charcoal, photography, colored-pencil, wood burning, leather working, song writing in addition to playing several instruments, just to name a few.

Though born in Texas, as a child of an Air Force dad, she has lived in Texas, Louisiana, Guam, Colorado, California and then back to Texas.

Change was a constant for Penny. Even after settling in the Hill Country about 25 years ago, she still kept busy with many interests. Her childhood love for dogs led to a hobby of breeding and showing and a profession of pet grooming (honestly, this is a learned art!) and dog obedience. It also can be found in her art as seen in her charcoal drawings and photography. Penny has flown quite often in a powerchute taking aerial photographs. Penny loves to find new forms of art, but she also loves to share them with others. When her youngest daughter, Amy, was in school, Penny took up teaching and taught art at the school to children of all ages. There she was able to pass on her fine tuned art skills of certain mediums, but she also was able to pass on her love for finding new art activities. Sometimes she and the class would learn a new art form together. Have you ever drawn a picture with crayons on sandpaper and then held a blowdryer to it to melt and blend the colors? Or drawn a picture with cattle markers? Penny has also taught art with the seniors at the Gem of the Hills community center.

Art, whether it be visual or auditory, puts the artists feelings and heart on display. Penny has never shied away from throwing herself into her art or from putting it on display for all to see. Her art has been displayed in various locations including. Her musical art including songs she has written herself, can be heard at the Silver K restaurant on Sundays in Johnson City, and at the last Saturday market days at Yett Park. Be sure to catch her at the Lighting of the Courthouse the day after Thanksgiving to hear Christmas songs.

Some of Penny’s art has been commissioned, ranging from wedding photography and holiday portraits for people and their pets to business logos. Other inspiration comes from nature, particularly animals. Her Wolf Eyes in colored pencil catches many peoples’ attention. She has often found wonderful nature subjects on the ranch where she lives with her husband John Lee. Deer and wildflowers make their way into her photographs, and then often to her canvas. Inspirational words have found their way into Penny’s wood-burning art and lyrics for her music.

Sometimes more is created from art than what the public sees. You may find Penny sharpening her guitar skills, and doing some family bonding with lessons from her musician son, Trevor McGuire. When her daughter, Nikki, had Penny’s first grandson 10 weeks early, Penny captured the most intimate and precious moments of their life in the NICU on camera. She also painted a mural with acrylics on three of Liam‘s bedroom walls. Her youngest daughter Amy‘s love of horses and rodeo has given Penny the opportunities to get great photos of Amy‘s competition as well as other rodeos and PBR events. Many of these have been translated into drawings.

When asked what her favorite art form is, she said colored pencil. Her first professional form of art exists in charcoal drawings and focuses largely on wildlife. Her newest adventure? Leather working. She’s currently enjoying working designs and colors into leather pieces such as guitar straps and belts. With Penny’s interest in varied art forms and her willingness to take on any project, keep an eye out for her art. You never know where you might see it next.