Verona Peñalba, an artist based on the North Fork, started using art as a means of expression during childhood. For more than 20 years, she has created paintings that explore themes of water, movement, emotional layering, and the inner self. Her work extends beyond canvas, as she is a co-founder of VEME Studios, which provides art workshops and pop-ups in Greenport. Recently, James Lane Post featured Verona’s artwork on a series of wine bottles as part of a collaboration with RGNY.
We spoke to Verona to learn more about her creative process, inspirations, and the significance of community in her work.
How did you first discover art as a language for expression?
I believe it has been my language since I was a kid, but it became more obvious and focused during college. I discovered large-scale painting then, and I haven’t looked back.
What does a typical day in your studio look like?
It varies so much, and that is what makes it so exciting, but a winter/spring day starts with me applying a layer of paint on the pieces I am working on at the moment. Then I would do some VEME work, like packing pottery or developing a class for the future.
What drew you to Greenport, and how did VEME Studios come to life there?
Before coming to Greenport more than ten years ago, I was living a nomadic life. When a work opportunity for my husband brought us here — and it aligned with the birth of our daughter — settling in Greenport felt both natural and grounding. It was a moment of choosing roots. VEME was born from the shared excitement my partner, Melissa Flotteron, and I have for creating and building community. Because we both live in Greenport, it felt natural to plant VEME in our own town — to contribute to the creative life of Greenport and add to the unique charm that makes it so special.
What are a few of the recurring themes or symbols that appear throughout your work?
Recurring themes in my work include water, movement, emotional layering, and the inner self. Gestural abstraction, fluid shapes, and layered surfaces act as symbols for memory, resilience, and transformation. Color is a vital language in my work, used intuitively to express emotion and energy.
What artists, writers, or cultural references inspire you?
I’m deeply inspired by humans who are able to articulate and express their most authentic selves — whether through music, painting, theater, or other forms of creative expression. The beauty and silence of nature also influence my work, offering space for reflection and presence. My mind is always drawing parallels between what I observe and our shared human experience. Curiosity and a desire to understand more continue to drive my creative process.
You recently collaborated with James Lane Post & RGNY on two wine bottles that feature pieces from your “Rosa Indica” series. Can you describe the series concept and the pieces featured on each bottle?
The Rosa Indica series explores the relationship between the human form and the natural world, using botanical elements as a metaphor for emotion, intimacy, and inner strength. The works are created as collages, allowing me to layer imagery and meaning — much like the layered nature of human experience itself. By combining figures and flowers, the series speaks to vulnerability, beauty, and collaboration, and how we hold both softness and strength at the same time.
For the wine collaboration, each bottle features a different Rosa Indica collage that highlights this dialogue between body and bloom. One piece pairs a female figure standing with a rose, symbolizing balance, elegance, and self-possession. The other lies comfortably on top of the blooms, exuding confidence and ease.
How does the energy of Greenport and the North Fork influence your creative process?
Since moving to Greenport and the North Fork, my color palette has become deeply infused with blue hues. I believe this comes from being constantly surrounded by water, and from the way blue gives me a sense of belonging and deep contemplation. There is a quietness here — a rhythm of stillness and reflection — that allows me to go inward and stay present with my emotions. That presence directly shapes my paintings, which often reflect these inner states of feeling, calm, and depth.
