Desert Tortoise

Amy Rattner

Painting is both a stepping off point into my imagination and a way to center my thoughts and feelings. Animals of all shapes and sizes have always been my passion. Each piece begins with a deep admiration of the unique beauty and character of the creature I am painting. Other sources of inspiration include an animal’s spiritual role in different tribal societies; the visual language associated with animals, cultures or places; a creature’s role in the larger ecosystem; and a desire to experiment with different compositional elements. My primary goal is to capture the unique spirit and personality of an animal using a combination of abstract expressionism, color, line, patterns, symbols and texture. I began my career as a graphic designer and I still often use an iPad or Photoshop to compose preliminary sketches or play with color and compositional elements before implementing them in a painting. However, my best work emerges organically, in the midst of the physical act of painting when I find my animal subject guiding my thoughts and decisions. My finished pieces reflect my own interpretations of an animal’s spirit as well as cultural and artistic styles that inspire me.

My work is available at Viewpoints Gallery in Los Altos, California and belongs to private collections across the United States, France and Norway. It has appeared in Southwest Art Magazine, Palette Magazine, the Palo Alto Weekly and the Salinas Californian newspaper. In addition, my work has earned awards in Fusion Art’s “5th Anniversary Art Exhibition” (Best in Show),” “5th Annual Artists’ Choice Exhibition,” and “Into the Wild International Art Exhibition”; the Pacific Art League’s national juried “Fur, Fins and Feathers” exhibition and “95th Anniversary Exhibition”; as well as Redwood City’s Spring and Fall Art Shows.
Email: amyrattnerart@gmail.com
Website: www.amyrattnerart.com