BIO

Penny was born in Sault Ste Marie and has resided here for most of her life.   She is an avid nature enthusiast spending significant time exploring and enjoying the wonderful landscape of the area in and surrounding Sault Ste. Marie.  As a young girl, she spent summers at her family’s cottage immersed in nature, becoming a strong swimmer, avid hiker and accomplished canoeist.  As a mother later in life, she introduced her two young boys to the special opportunity of spending time in nature and enjoyed countless adventures and excursions with them into our valuable area.

Very much at home in Lake Superior country, Penny has enormous love and appreciation for this part of Ontario and Canada.  She describes the clear refreshing waters of Lake Superior as surpassed by none and the scenery as spectacular;  the range of trees, wildflowers and wildlife to be revered. 

She has travelled throughout Canada, and as a teenager travelled several times cross country by train to British Columbia to spend time with her sister Pat Klapstock, an accomplished artist who painted numerous oil paintings.  Penny began painting at this time encouraged and mentored by her sister. 

Penny has spent significant time in Western Canada, Eastern Canada and also some time in the Northwest Territories to visit her son travelling often by motorhome with her husband. She has explored and enjoyed much of our outstanding country and has committed to painting a scene from each area of Canada.  Trips to Europe are on the horizon soon and will present new and diverse opportunities for paintings. 

Many members of her family pursue creative endeavours and she believes that this in and of itself provides for the development and nourishment of creativity.  Retiring in 2011 from Sault College after a long career in both Business and Education, Penny returned to painting at this time.   She has been influenced and mentored by local artists Taimi Poldmaa and Patricia Bolitho.  Penny enjoys painting landscapes using both oils and acrylics, having also experimented with pastels and watercolours.   Water and mountains are very often her chosen subjects although some floral scenes have also been completed.   Recently, she has especially enjoyed the challenge of painting her grandchildren and nieces and hopes to focus more in the future on painting the human form.

Essentially a self-taught artist pursuing painting as a hobby, Penny continues to develop her skills.  Exhibitions have included a students’ exhibition organized and presented by artist, Taimi Poldmaa (2018) and a members’ exhibition at the Art Gallery of Algoma (2020).