Eager to start her first project in oils at12 years of age, Penny set about to create her own oil paints. This was a concoction of water colours and olive oil, and a linen towel as the canvas.  Alas, this was not a great success, but proved to her father her passion to become an artist. Her father set one rule - to be a good artist, she would first need to learn to draw in perspective.

For the next three years, Penny frequented the local park in Elizabeth Bay and practiced perfecting her three dimension sketches, her backdrop being the buildings surrounding the park. When she reached her 15th birthday, she received the gift she most wanted – a good set of oil paints from her father.

Immediately, Penny went to work and painted her first “real” painting – a reflection of the harbour view from her home in Elizabeth Bay. She won art prizes throughout her time at St Vincent College until she finished her HSC equivalent in 1962. She studied Commercial Art at East Sydney Technical College and finished this in 1965.