‘The Sentinel’

After teaching art for 30 years, Amy Patterson, Columbus Branch (Georgia) member, headed into retirement determined to continue the work begun during her master’s degree. Her graduate thesis incorporated oils with her passion for the changes in the atmosphere and the reflections of sky and objects in water. The palette knife became a newly discovered tool used to achieve the much-loved textures that are a recurring element in her work.

Although Patterson has tried her hand with other subject matter and media, oil painting is now the main emphasis of her creative pursuits.

Her recent work focuses on abstract forms and the layering of paint mixed with cold-wax medium. However, texture remains an important aspect with her exploration of found materials coated and pressed into the painting surface.

“Inspired by an autumn visit to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, this waterlily bud and its reflection on the still water of the pond seemed to be standing guard over the rest of the plants,” Patterson said. “I enjoy painting different bodies of water and the reflections of objects surrounding the water — and those of plants and other objects within the water.”