2023 A Novel Tasting Silent Auction Spotlight: Murals Painting by Artist Amy R. Peterson

Artist Amy R. Peterson is donating this 16-by-20 inch painting, Under The Eyes of Ezra's Murals, valued $1,600, for the 2023 A Novel Tasting Silent Auction. The event is April 6 at the Central Library.

Amy Peterson painted the Ezra Winter murals in BPL's Southern History Department on location.

Birmingham, Ala. - Attendees to A Novel Tasting, the Birmingham Public Library fundraiser taking place Thursday, April 6, at the Central Library, will get a chance to bid on a special item: a painting of the historic Ezra Winter Murals in BPL's Southern History Department.

Amy R. Peterson, an artist/art teacher who lives in Trussville, last month created a 16- by 20-inch painting of BPL's Southern History Department and its famous Ezra Winter murals that she is donating to A Novel Tasting's silent auction. The painting is entitled Under The Eyes of Ezra's Murals.

The painting has a value of $1,600. It is more than twice the size of a similar Ezra Winter Murals painting Amy Peterson donated for last year's A Novel Tasting Silent Auction. Last year's painting of the Ezra Winter murals was an extremely popular silent auction item, drawing competitive bidding. 

A wife and mother of three children, Peterson has used her passion for art to paint famous buildings, landscapes and scenes in Birmingham for years. Check out some of the paintings on her website by clicking here www.AmyRPeterson.com.

While she worked other jobs pursuing her art in between, Peterson used to fantasize about where an art career might take her life. Now she smiles at where her life (particularly as a woman and a parent) takes her art! Learn more about  Amy Peterson by reading her bio box at the end of this blog.

In a Q&A with BPL, Peterson talked about her art and what inspired her latest work.

BPL: Do you paint full time or is art a hobby on the side of another job?

Peterson: Teaching art classes and painting is my full time profession.

BPL: How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a professional artist?

Peterson: Before I can remember. Early childhood dreams included author/illustrator; teacher; veterinarian; inventor; but always involved some element of art. Even as I pursued a pre-med track at Notre Dame, I was taking art classes and knew I would need that as a part of my life.

Closeup view of Amy Peterson's painting, entitled Under The Eyes of Ezra's Murals.

BPL: Describe the scene you painted this year (2023).

Peterson: This is a view of the library where you can see most of Ezra Winter's murals on one wall. And you can see library activity centered around the front desk where the librarian (Southern History Department Manager Mary Beth Newbill) greets and assists people. I chose this view where the nearby lamps at left draw us into the scene. A doorway, near the center of the painting frames and silhouettes a visitor (BPL Archives Director Jim Baggett's figure, actually), standing at the desk.

If you look closely, you'll see the librarian (Mary Beth Newbill) at the desk, glasses and hair dimly lit by a blue computer screen. There are also a few other hints of people throughout the background captured in real time while I painted on site.  I hope this painting conveys the quiet reverence and beauty of this grand, historic library.

  

BPL: I understand you are donating the oil painting you did at Southern History Dept. to BPL's A Novel Tasting Silent Auction. Give particulars of the painting.

Peterson: This original painting is 16 x 20 inches, oil on stretched linen, framed. The painting title is Under The Eyes of Ezra's Murals. Retail value: $1,600.

BPL: What do you enjoy most about being an artist?

Peterson:  I am a highly visual thinker and learner. I see color very vividly, and nuance in values very acutely. I am often so moved and stimulated by color and light that expressing my appreciation for that beauty is not an option for me, it’s a necessity. In terms of design, I am highly motivated to create interesting compositions, no matter what the subject may be. And as a teacher, I treasure  being able to share all the above with fellow artists, students, collectors, anyone and everyone. 

BPL: Any advice for budding young artists?

Peterson: Keep drawing. Keep painting. Keep creating. Don’t hesitate to ask questions. There is no dumb question! When you see something that grabs your attention, ask questions. 

As a student, asking “why” is often more valuable than asking “how”. Go see what art people are putting out there: local art shows, shops, galleries, museums, and online, but as often as possible in-person! Take classes, take workshops, enter competitions if you like, but mostly keep creating. 

Seek out your areas of interest (even as they change), strike up conversations, and you’ll find that fellow artists are usually very willing to share advice and show support, and this can mean more doors will open.

 Amy R. Peterson  Bio Box 

Artist: Amy R. Peterson 

Hometown: Birmingham, Ala.

Education: John Carroll Catholic High School; University of Notre Dame, (B.A.)

How many years as an artist: Lifelong as an artist; 20 years as a career 

Description of art style: Impressionistic oil paintings

Favorite things to paint: Nature, architecture, and historic subjects. Almost any subject painted from life, including interiors, plein air landscapes  and Birmingham city scenes. I'm an animal lover and have always enjoyed drawing and painting animals, particularly dogs.    

Favorite items ever painted: Various Birmingham paintings; New Mexico landscapes (from when we lived there); and Our Universal Mother, a Multicultural Madonna commissioned as a gift for the retiring president of the University of Notre Dame (my senior year).

Where you can find Amy Peterson's artwork: 

Galleries - Beverly McNeil Gallery in Birmingham, Crown Gallery USA in Blowing Rock, NC 

Upcoming art shows: "Black Belt Byways," Fall of 2023 at Aldridge Gardens Gallery in Hoover, Ala. 

How to contact the artist: Email amyraquel@gmail.com or website www.AmyRPeterson.com

Here are some photos of artist Amy Peterson, posing with BPL staff, holding the painting to be donated at the 2023 A Novel Tasting Silent Auction.

Mary Beth Newbill, head of BPL's Southern History Department, holding Amy Peterson's murals painting. The artwork has unique details such as a glare on Mary Beth's glasses as she looks at a computer screen while sitting at her desk.   

Artist my Peterson holds the painting alongside Mary Beth Newbill, left, BPL Development Director Catherine Frey, right, and Library Assistant III Margaret Splane.

Amy Peterson presents the painting to BPL Development Director Catherine Frey, right, and Library Assistant III Margaret Splane.