Jenny has lived in western Kentucky all her life, attending Farley Elementary School and Reidland High School. She and her husband have one daughter and two grandsons. I asked her how she got started as an artist. She actually didn’t paint, even in school, until her daughter was a year old. Jenny became sick, but needing to still take care of her little girl, she set them up in one room where she could keep up with her, and started piddling with watercolor to pass the time. It seemed easiest to do and the least messy of the mediums.
Later, when Gerry Marcum was painting with a group in Reidland, the Reidland Five, Jenny joined in. They painted in each other’s homes and had shows in various places. Then Jenny and Gerry started taking classes with Clyde Lawter and became two of PAPA’s Charter Members when Clyde started PAPA. Jenny has painted with a few different instructors over time, but none had as big an impact on her development as an artist as Cleda Curtis. Cleda is a very thorough teacher focusing on all of the basics.
Jenny started with watercolor and has worked in all four of the main mediums. But pastel is hands down her favorite and main medium. Portraiture is her main subject. When she first started doing portraits, at the encouragement of some of her fellow artists she really had no interest in it and questioned why she would want to do them. Then she did her first portrait.
Jenny has a lot of interests: writing, gardening, crocheting, being home and enjoying her yard. Jenny has written and illustrated several children’s books and illustrated books for four other authors. Jenny’s books are A Horse Named Willie, and A Horse Named Willie The Gift, both books written about and in support of Cassidy’s Cause with a percentage of the proceeds going to support them. She has written three other books, Sebastian and the Wise Old Man, The Magic Lady, and Creatures of the Forest. Watch for a book signing in the spring.
Jenny’s show will be up for the month of February. Keep in mind, it’s our shortest month. Don’t wait too long to come in to see it. And buy one of them so she’ll have to put up a new piece to fill in! Let’s keep her busy!
