Colton Penniston "Chocolate Mountain Sunrise"

6x11", Acrylic on paper, 2025

My idea was to paint a sunrise, but I wasn't sure what to do, so I looked up some ideas, and I came across this one. I saw other paintings like this one, just different colors, so I decided to do these colors because they flow together pretty well. I began by sketching the outline of the painting and then selecting the colors I wanted to use. I used a pencil, a compass to draw the circle, acrylic paint, and paint brushes. This artwork doesn't have a direct meaning; I simply enjoy sunsets, and they are relatively simple to paint. I want the audience to think about the simplicity and the calmness of the painting. The most difficult part for me was mixing the colors and trying to get them to the color I wanted. It just took time to mix them slowly to get the right color. If I could change something, I would put a little border of tape around the edge so when you are done painting, it has a white border. I would say it is abstract. I love the colors of the painting.

Colton Penniston "Jordan's Legacy"

16x20", Acrylic on Canvas, 2025

My idea was to paint a shoe because I have drawn some in the past, so I wanted to see if I could paint one. But if I painted just a shoe, it would look a little bland without a background. So I decided to do Michael Jordan in graffiti letters. I started by drawing the outline of the shoe and the details. Then I drew the graffiti letters and then I started to paint the shoe and the details took me awhile to make them look good. This artwork doesn't have a direct meaning I just like Jordan shoes and him as a basketball player, that is why I decided to paint this. The most difficult part for me was painting the shoe laces because they are so small. I overcame the struggles by taking my time and working slow. I don't think The only thing that I would change is maybe the background color. I would say the style of art is Pop Art. I love the way the shoe looks and how it really pops out from the black background. 

Colton Penniston "Polluted Sunrise"

18x24", Acrylic on Canvas, 2025

My idea for this painting was to address air pollution, as it is a significant issue in our world. I first started out by painting the background a bright orange color because it is supposed to be a sunset behind all of the smoke. I mixed three different colors of grey and layered them on top of each other to make a smoke look from all of the smoke stacks and all of the pollution they are causing. I used a paintbrush, sponge, and white pencil. This artwork is intended to highlight the issue of pollution and the need to take action to help mitigate or reduce the amount of pollution we are causing. The most difficult part for me was making the smoke. If I finished this painting, I would say the most difficult part would be all of the buildings and some of the lights they have. If I could change one thing, I would change the background color and try to add different colors to make it look like a real sunrise. I would say this artwork is realistic. I like the look of the smoke and how it has many different colors in it.