Penny Stewart Fine Art

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Penny Stewart, Artist, Teacher, Creative Soul: Painting Pet Portraits

My philosophy of life includes enjoying every moment and living in the now. Animals do that naturally. Creating art releases my soul and frees me from the daily humdrum of life. I think less and become present in the moment, merging with my subject on a higher level, sort of like when I do Tarot readings for humans, only with animals. They don't have to speak out loud, but I hear them. My interests vary considerably in all areas of life, especially in art. Subjects for paintings exist everywhere, and finding my niche has required some experimentation. Every time I painted an animal, people noticed and commented on the realism. I listened to my peers, my critics and my inner voice. 'Paint animals!' One of my favorite sayings, which has always proven to be true in my life is, 'Do what you love and the money will follow.' I strive to reveal the unique personality and individuality of each animal I paint, hopefully expressing their thoughts at the time of the photo. People, including me, love to caption my paintings as if they can read the animal's mind.

Acrylic works well for me because it dries quickly. The wide range of vivid colors appeals to me and it allows me to create thick texture like oil, or, by adding water or special mediums, I get a smooth, easy flowing softness like watercolor. Since I tend to paint very fast, and often have several projects in the works at one time, I need the fast drying time. My original rendering of a subject probably takes 3 hours or less. Then I refine and fiddle around with it. Sometimes it's best if I quit before the second stage, but I never know that until after the fact. Every painting represents a learning experience for me. Each portrait, even if I only see a photograph of the animal, becomes a relationship to remember and draw on at a later time, pun intended.

I currently teach classes at Michael's in West Covina, CA, and paint every day. Although animals are my favorite subjects, I dabble in all sorts of scenery, abstracts, florals and whatever I feel like at the moment. Life is Good!