9 8 0 s ▁she ▁gave ▁up ▁portrait ure - for - hire ▁work ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁studio ▁work . ▁She ▁has ▁received ▁numerous ▁acc ol ades ▁and ▁awards ▁for ▁her ▁work . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁she ▁was ▁recognized ▁by ▁the ▁Alabama ▁State ▁Council ▁on ▁the ▁Arts ▁with ▁the ▁Governor ' s ▁Arts ▁Award , ▁and ▁the ▁Alabama ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Tour ism ▁and ▁Tra vel ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁Alabama ' s ▁" Master ▁Art ists ". ▁ ▁Works ▁Her ▁imag ery ▁is ▁often ▁of ▁anonymous , ▁pass ive ▁individuals ▁engaged ▁in ▁the ▁b anal , ▁idle ▁activities ▁of ▁every day ▁life : ▁r iding ▁the ▁sub way , ▁people ▁watching ▁or ▁sitting ▁at ▁a ▁bar . ▁Ken ning ton ▁refers ▁to ▁these ▁repet itive ▁moments ▁as ▁rit uals ▁that ▁contribute ▁to ▁the ▁shared ▁condition ▁of ▁human ity , ▁ultimately ▁elev ating ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁myth s . ▁The ▁settings ▁of ▁her ▁paint ings ▁appear ▁as ▁so ber ▁the atr ical ▁stages ▁into ▁which ▁anyone ▁could ▁recognize ▁herself . ▁ ▁Ken ning ton ▁later ▁moved ▁to ▁painting ▁fol ding ▁screens ▁after ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁death . ▁In ▁these ▁works ▁she ▁returned ▁to ▁her ▁abstract ▁roots , ▁emphas izing ▁shape ▁and ▁light ▁and ▁expand ing ▁upon ▁the ▁spatial ▁complex ities ▁introduced ▁in ▁earlier ▁series . ▁ ▁Ken ning ton ' s ▁work ▁is ▁included ▁in ▁numerous ▁public ▁and ▁private ▁collections ▁including ▁the ▁Mont gom ery ▁Museum ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts , ▁Mont gom ery , ▁Alabama , ▁the ▁Columb