GLENBORO, Man. – Kim Penner became fascinated with horses at an early age, not knowing that she would one day become a prominent artist because of that interest.
She was only two or three years old when her aunt gave her a card with a horse on it. From then on she wanted to have horses of her own.
And while growing up near Morden, Man., she also discovered an interest in drawing and painting. Her paintings started to gain attention even before she finished high school.
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Her interests in horses and painting eventually folded into a career. Penner’s paintings of horses have sold across North America and overseas. This year, three of them will be featured on the cards of a major greeting card company.
“I have the best of both worlds,” said Penner, who is married with two children and lives on an acreage west of Glenboro. “I thank God for my lifestyle.”
Her involvement with horses and art was encouraged by her parents from the time she was young. When she was 10 years old, they bought two colts for $25 each. It was an ideal way for Kim to begin learning more about the physical nuances of horses, while also gaining an appreciation of how each horse is unique in its nature.
While still a child, she did well with entries of her drawings at local fairs. She began turning more attention to painting when she reached high school. She took art lessons from Marcel Debreuil, a high school teacher at Winkler, who became her mentor. She also continued entering competitions. Her drawing of a girl and horse, done on masonite, became one of two entries chosen from Manitoba for a national competition in Toronto.
She continued developing her skills by earning a fine arts degree from the University of Manitoba in 1990. She followed that up by completing a degree in education.
It was after completing her fine arts degree that she met her husband-to-be, Glenn Penner. Their shared interest in horses was one of the things that drew them together.
“I think when you have something that’s so much a love, you have to find someone who is compatible,” Kim said. “He loved horses too.”
Following university, she devoted herself to painting as an occupation. Horses remained the subject that she enjoyed capturing on canvas the most. Different landscapes, many reflecting rural settings in Western Canada, have added to the diversity of her paintings.
The Penners now have an art gallery on their acreage to provide Kim with a studio and a place to exhibit her paintings. The gallery faces south onto a riding pen, where one of their daughters trains for equestrian events.
Glenn works for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, but also helps with the business and promotion side of the art enterprise, which includes trips to events like Regina’s Agribition, the Calgary Stampede and an annual exhibit at the Spruce Meadows equestrian centre in Alberta.
Kim’s paintings recently came to the attention of Leanin’ Tree, a company that markets greeting cards and stationery. The request from Leanin’ Tree to feature three of Penner’s paintings on its greeting cards came out of the blue. It was an interesting turn of events for an artist whose path was influenced by a card given to her years ago.
Last month, Kim received another kind of recognition for her endeavours. Women Business Owners of Manitoba chose the Penner’s business as top home enterprise in the province for 2004.
