Artist to speak at Marble Hill museum

Richard Penney, a painter of dinosaurs, will speak and display his art Saturday at the Bollinger County Museum of Natural History in Marble Hill, Mo.

Penney, of Ironton, Mo., is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m.

He is known as a "paleoartist" and will display original oil paintings and overhead transparencies of his work.

Mayford Warren, who sits on the board of directors for the Will Mayfield building in Marble Hill, can take partial credit for bringing Penney to speak.

Last year, he and his wife Norma were visiting an antique shop in Ironton and were told by the store's owner that anyone interested in dinosaurs needed to visit Penney's local studio. Warren stopped by and thought Penney's art and knowledge fit the museum's mission of preserving the past.

"I was really impressed, not only by his artwork but by his manner of speech. He's very articulate and intelligent. Very knowledgeable about the subject," Warren said.

Penney, who regularly makes speaking engagements, agreed to come to Marble Hill. Warren thought the 17th annual Mississippi Valley Scenic Drive Weekend would be the perfect time. The Scenic Drive event, which begins Saturday, highlights 28 locations in small towns throughout the area and draws thousands of motorists off the beaten track and into small towns.

Museum board member Dixie Hopkins thinks the dinosaur painter will be a real hit.

"To have an artist of his quality who also specializes in dinosaurs is quite something. We were all very impressed with the work we saw," she said.

tgreaney@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245