About

Penny Downes

Penny Downes has a degree in Graphic Design from Leeds polytechnic. She has been a youth-worker for 20 + years and a Community Learning and Development worker for over 20 years.

She set up Hand Pict By Penny in 2011 as she was getting inundated by requests to run creative workshops for children and young people all over North East Scotland. Since then she has steadily built up her artistic business taking on workshops, exhibitions and public art sculpture trails. 

Penny’s Art Clubs in Westhill, Cults, Aberdeen and Inverurie engage with children from P4 to S2, all are thriving.

Penny is the Artist Project worker in the Cornhill Community Association art space in Aberdeen.

Creative Space is her own innovative solution to the restrictions that engaging with education can present. Creative Space can be anywhere. A table in a hallway or a corner of the library can become a supportive and nurturing creative environment, with Penny’s own brand of positive, understanding, patience, and enthusiasm. 

Penny is working with Social Work in Aberdeenshire develop Creative Space where Young artists with additional support needs can develop their own styles and skills in a relaxed setting, in person or on video.