Janice Penny Oman was born on 23 December 1955 in Sexsmith, Alberta. She was an active sportswoman until she had an accident in 1970, leaving her paralysed from the neck down. At the age of eleven, she moved to Edmonton in order to recover and pursue rehabilitation therapy. Years later, Janice Penny Oman began to paint with her mouth and submitted her work to the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists. She was given a scholarship in 1978. The variety of her landscape painting derives from the motivation that the artist finds in the wonderful nature of her home country – the Rocky Mountains. Penny became an Associate Member of the Association in March 2000, which gave her the opportunity to express herself through her individual painting style.
Today, she teaches other people how to develop their artistic talent and finds time to visits schools and hospitals. As an active member of the community, Janice Penny Oman often shows other people the obstacles that disabled people face, explaining the importance of removing unnecessary barriers. For many years, Penny was a member of the Provincial Committee for National Access Awareness Week, which aims to make society aware of the difficulties of the disabled, and was also on other committees and commissions.
