Artist Biography: Pawinee McEntire
A Signature Style
Pawinee McEntire traces the beginning of her painting career to a high school art class in her native country, Thailand . Although only a brief introduction, this class strongly kindled her interest in the arts. After a short career as an elementary school teacher, she moved to the United States in 1974 and once again took up a paint brush to explore her artistic talents.
In 1979, after moving from Fort Worth , Texas to Omaha , Nebraska , she discovered new art forms, mastered them through independent study, and began teaching painting to her friends. Four years later, in North Pole, Alaska, she used the long winters to learn and teach more types of oil painting and added rustic outdoor and wildlife scenes to her portfolio of skills.
Upon moving to Virginia in 1986, she was inspired by the primitive paintings of Grandma Moses, and this soon became her favorite style. Recently, she used it in “Celebration,” and “We The People,” paintings of the U.S. Capitol, which were featured during the Mall’s 1998 and 2004 Capitol Fourth celebrations, on the official Lockheed Martin Corporation poster, and published in newspapers nationwide.
Another popular work portrays a First Ladies’ tea party on the White House lawn, with all forty-three First Ladies and White House Hostesses. Mrs. Clinton, Bush, Reagan and Carter have expressed admiration and appreciation for this work. In 2004, Pawinee was also honored by First Lady Laura Bush as the exemplar artist for the White House Easter Egg exhibit.
Other highlights include the exhibit of several of Pawinee’s paintings in the R. Lee Taylor Miniatures Gallery of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, and at Glen Burnie in Winchester , Virginia , and specially commissioned works, including a painting of the Willard Hotel , in Washington , D.C. , featured on Willard Hotel Christmas cards and ornaments. She is also published on the covers of, and throughout the book, “Tea With Presidential Families,” by Buelah Munshower Sommer and Pearl Dexter.
