Penny Soto

Penny Soto has had a lifelong love of color. During her time at the Academy of Art in San Francisco she discovered an unconventional style that she has been developing ever since. By underpainting, overpainting, lifting and scrubbing she is able to experiment with color and hues to make her paintings come alive. She uses the "Spin-A-Color" palette she designed for easy access to 84 colors at a glance. [Learn more]

Let watercolor artist Penny Soto's love of color inspire you to create dazzling works of art! In addition to many watercolor techniques, this watercolor instruction video “Glowing Cherries & Lace: A New Approach to Watercolor” also covers how to use a computer for composition. The watercolor lessons are geared toward the beginning watercolorist.

Penny's book, Paint Glowing Colors in Watercolor in Watercolor, published by North Light, is available through her web site. Penny has designed a palette she calls "Spin-A-Color" that gives her easy access to 84 colors at a glance. This allows Penny to experiment with the latest new hues.

Art Instruction Video PREVIEWS

Name			QuickTime	Windows Media	Learn more
	PS1	Penny Soto Glowing Cherries & Lace: A New Approach to Watercolor, Art Instruction Video	3.6 MB	5.9 MB	VHS

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Penny Soto

Award winning California artist and teacher Penny Soto lives in Pollock Pines, California. Her formal art training began at Chabot College in Hayward, California and San Francisco Academy of Art. She has since studied with prominent portrait and figure artists.

Penny has had many Gallery and Museum exhibits in her career. She has received more than 250 awards and honors. She was awarded a $10,000 scholarship to the San Francisco Academy of Art where she pursued a degree in illustration. (1995). She has been commissioned by Nordstrom's to paint mural size watercolors- 4 foot x 6 foot and 6 foot x 9 foot for their Permanent Art collection display in the stores though out the United States. They currently have 26 of her works to date. Her paintings and murals are in a number of public and private corporations throughout the United States. Pacific Bell, Kaiser Foundation, Arlen Ness, Inc. Nordstroms, Arlen Ness, Inc., Jamaica Plaza, Ralston Purina Corporation, Pepsi Cola, Inc., just to name a few.

Soto is a member of the San Francisco Society of Illustrators. California Watercolor Association CWA (an award signature member), Society of Western Artists SWA (an award signature member) and Los Angles Society of Illustrators and The International Artist Society. She writes monthly articles for the World Wide Web art magazines www.worldofwatercolor.com and in the UK www.artmagazine.co.uk.

Among her art projects she is most proud of is her invention of a watercolor palette that spins and had 84 wells as well as many other features. This is a Patent product and will be sold worldwide.

Penny lives in the foothills of the California Sierras with her husband, Paul and dog, Peaches (who you will meet in her video). She is an active instructor and illustrator.