Long gone are the times when you could buy something with a single penny in your pocket. However, this doesn’t mean the coin doesn’t have a purpose or significant value for some people.
For Arizona-based artist Bryanna Marie, pennies are worth much more than their monetary value suggests. She uses these coins as a canvas; painting impressive and detailed paintings on their front and turning them into works of art.
Marie’s first encounter with miniature painting came in 2014 when she was asked to do 3×3-inch artwork for a charity event. She happily obliged and became fascinated with the prospects of doing a complete painting on limited canvas. This talented Tucson native continued to experiment with various surfaces before settling on pennies.
“I’ve always been drawn to painting with oils on copper, so naturally when I decided to attempt a miniature painting I chose the penny,” Marie told Goodkin in a recent chat. “In the beginning, it was a challenge to paint with Lincoln’s face in the background, now I just see him as a part of the overall works.”
Marie finds her inspiration in “everyday beauty that the natural world surrounds us with,” which is why most of her works include landscapes, still life, and animals. But she also likes to dip her toes into pop culture and portraits. Check more of her miniature paintings below.
