Purnell Pettyjohn's Bio
Purnell Hearn Pettyjohn is a native of Martinsville, Virginia. She received her B.A. degree from Stratford College in 1972, majoring in Art Education. She is blessed with three daughters, two sons-in-law and 15 grandchildren. She often says that her greatest creations are her precious daughters.
After years of designing backdrops for Paul Munro Elementary School, illustrating a monthly Junior League publication, designing First Presbyterian Weekday School logo and raising her daughters, Purnell reintroduced herself to painting in 1991. She has taken numerous local and national watercolor classes for almost 30 years. She calls herself a colorist, since she likes to enhance local color with unexpected, exciting color in her paintings. She is fascinated with the unexpected qualities of watercolor. In 1998, with the excellent instruction of local teachers, she started painting in oils. Purnell has a home studio, for framing and a delightful, working studio, at Art on 12th, which is located on the second floor of the Art Box, in Lynchburg. It is at Art on 12th, that she has enjoyed teaching beginner, intermediate and advanced painting classes for 11 years.
Her paintings can be found in local businesses and private residences and collections. She has shown her paintings at the Lynchburg Fine Art Center, The Academy of Fine Art, Lynchburg Art Club, Sakinas, Shop of John Simmons, Pheasants Eye, Lodge of the Fisherman, Montana Plains, Isabella’s, Magnolia Foods Restaurant, Westminster Canterbury in Lynchburg and the Piedmont Arts Association in Martinsville. She has had nine one-person exhibits. Presently, her work can be seen in her downtown studio gallery.
Purnell’s paintings have been accepted in several juried area art shows, the Tri-State Watercolor Society, Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, West Virginia Watercolor Society, Central Virginia Watercolor Guild, American Watercolor Society and National Watercolor Society.
Her watercolors are bright and colorful depictions of daily observations, emphasizing with play of light, shadow and color. She loves to experiment with new and varied ideas to keep her paintings fresh and changing. By working with talented students, she finds that she learns just as much as they do, in her classes.
If you wish to get in touch with this artist, please feel free to do so: purnell.pettyjohn@gmail.com.
You can view her latest work on her website, purnellpettyjohn.com
After years of designing backdrops for Paul Munro Elementary School, illustrating a monthly Junior League publication, designing First Presbyterian Weekday School logo and raising her daughters, Purnell reintroduced herself to painting in 1991. She has taken numerous local and national watercolor classes for almost 30 years. She calls herself a colorist, since she likes to enhance local color with unexpected, exciting color in her paintings. She is fascinated with the unexpected qualities of watercolor. In 1998, with the excellent instruction of local teachers, she started painting in oils. Purnell has a home studio, for framing and a delightful, working studio, at Art on 12th, which is located on the second floor of the Art Box, in Lynchburg. It is at Art on 12th, that she has enjoyed teaching beginner, intermediate and advanced painting classes for 11 years.
Her paintings can be found in local businesses and private residences and collections. She has shown her paintings at the Lynchburg Fine Art Center, The Academy of Fine Art, Lynchburg Art Club, Sakinas, Shop of John Simmons, Pheasants Eye, Lodge of the Fisherman, Montana Plains, Isabella’s, Magnolia Foods Restaurant, Westminster Canterbury in Lynchburg and the Piedmont Arts Association in Martinsville. She has had nine one-person exhibits. Presently, her work can be seen in her downtown studio gallery.
Purnell’s paintings have been accepted in several juried area art shows, the Tri-State Watercolor Society, Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, West Virginia Watercolor Society, Central Virginia Watercolor Guild, American Watercolor Society and National Watercolor Society.
Her watercolors are bright and colorful depictions of daily observations, emphasizing with play of light, shadow and color. She loves to experiment with new and varied ideas to keep her paintings fresh and changing. By working with talented students, she finds that she learns just as much as they do, in her classes.
If you wish to get in touch with this artist, please feel free to do so: purnell.pettyjohn@gmail.com.
You can view her latest work on her website, purnellpettyjohn.com