Peggy Arnett Says Yes When the World Says No

Peggy Arnett, a new member of the Anderson Artists Guild, has a stubborn streak. As a kid, for instance, she used to show her dad her black and white sketches, and he suggested adding color. “That angered me,” she said. “I dug in my heels about painting until 2014.”

When she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1989, she didn’t let it stop her. “That was quite a hard blow,” she said. “But I decided at that point to do everything I’d always wanted to do.”

She became an emergency medical technician, working in ambulances and emergency rooms until she was no longer able to do the lifting required. She worked in a veterinary office until she couldn’t make it up the stairs or handle the dogs. She sang in a band until her voice gave out. She divorced and then married the love of her life.

She ended up in a wheelchair a decade ago. In need of an outlet, she tried painting, which she had resisted for so long, and found a new passion. She works in acrylic and is currently obsessed with birds, which she paints on ceramic tiles and sells through word of mouth. “They’re very popular,” she said.

For more information about Arnett, visit https://www.facebook.com/leaf2me/.