About Penney the Clown

Performing on stage has been all Penney wanted to do since she was 5 years old. She began clowning professionally in 1993, and since then has devoted virtually every waking moment of her adult life to creating fun family entertainment and to developing her skills.

As a child, her mantra was “I LIKE to look ridiculous”, and pairing stripes, plaid, and wild colors became a favorite form of self-expression. She also prided herself (and still does) on her ability to make friends blow milk out of their noses with her comedic timing.

At age 10, Penney discovered her love of face painting, and got her younger sister to endure many practice sessions with her mom’s makeup.

In high school, still dressing zany, she was twice awarded scholarships to attend summer sessions at the prestigious Academy of Art college.

Although considered a clown by most since childhood, she didn’t start clowning professionally until she was 22, but has since been flown around the world to perform at the 2001 Miss India Pageant, body paint at Arnhem’s International Human Statue contest, and be a clown at festivals and events at home and around the world.

San Francisco Magazine chose Penney as the “Bay Area’s Best Children’s Entertainer” in their yearly “Best of the Bay” edition. And in 2004, Penney was winner of the International Face and Body Art competition in San Francisco, and since then has continued to hone her craft in extensive workshops with the world’s finest face and body artists.

Penney now teaches face painting at conventions around the country, and is a featured artist and conceptual contributor to the new 2007 edition of the Klutz Face Painting book.