Blue Scarf II
By Amy Werntz
Oil, 2020
16 x 12 inches
$5,200
Amy Werntz is obsessed with time, of the fear of its passing to the feeling of not living in the correct moment. This passion plays out in her art, explored through translated vintage black and white photographs that bring forward the past to her current work, which seeks to capture the seemingly insignificant moments of everyday life. Her meticulously crafted and highly realistic figures are isolated from the environment, they are the only story and their features, gestures, and clothing and props offer the only cues to narrative. Wernzt leaves the viewer to fill in the details from their own life experience, to create a story from their history and perhaps to see the importance of every life in a society often too fascinated with the lure of youth.
Blue Scarf II is a stunningly rendered image of a woman struggling with the everyday tasks of life. This is a woman we know, the weight of years heavy on her frame. With her body and head shrouded in coat and scarf, her hands are left to communicate on her behalf. Wrapped in a struggle with a plastic bag, her hands are gorgeously and painstakingly detailed, bent and discolored by age with the veins and swollen joints clearly evident. Sympathetic and emphatic, this image reminds us of the passing of time and frailty and resilience of life.
Werntz is a practicing painter and interior designer, with a BFA in interior design from the Art Institute of Dallas, Texas. Her paintings have been exhibited widely in Texas and in group shows in Wausau, Wisconsin and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She has received recognition and numerous awards for her portraits from the Portrait Society of America and took first place in the Richeson 75 International Art Competition Portrait/Figure category in 2020.
You can find more information about the artist and her work at www.amywerntz.com or on Instagram @amywerntz_art.
