Amy Penner

Amy Penner was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1986. While she dreamed of pursuing a life of art and music, she instead felt pressure to follow the well-trodden path and studied accounting at the Asper School of Business.

After graduating from university, she worked for an accounting firm, and then went on to own her own healthcare business. Yet, there was a feeling inside of her that she was not on the right path. She had focused so much on outward success, yet her soul was crying for something more.

Throughout these growing pains, she took any chance to travel, visiting places such as Peru, Guatemala, Thailand, Cambodia, and Morocco. During these travels, much of her time was spent reading, journaling, sketching, and reflecting on life and how best to spend it. She reflected deeply on what it truly means to live a good life.

During this period of reflection, her life changed. She happened to visit a local gallery in Winnipeg and was incredibly inspired by the art of the local painters. She saw that there were studios available to rent, so she leaped and rented one that day.

Here, she made up for lost time by spending every free evening and weekend painting. In the search for her artistic vision, she experimented with different mediums and styles, including geometrics, abstracts, and figurative pieces, as well as acrylic, oils, charcoal, and pastels. This year was incredibly productive and set her on her current path.

Having been greatly inspired by artists such as Matisse, Picasso, Even Iyre, and many others, she works with bold and saturated colors, creating and reimagining the domestic space. Ones filled with whimsy, beauty, colour, and joy. Her work strives to bring out the magic of our everyday surroundings.

She now lives in Ottawa, where she paints daily in her home studio.