Artist Lynn Hathy works in many mediums. She paints in oil and acrylic. She uses household items, like fabric and buttons. She has even painted on furniture.
But her work using puzzle pieces is special.
Hathy, a professional whose studio and shop resides in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, created four unique works in a series called Piece of My Heart, which feature acrylic paint over puzzle pieces that were painted individually.
The puzzle piece is the symbol embraced by many living with autism, dating back to the 1960s when it was introduced to represent the complexity of the autism spectrum. The symbol has since been used to represent many different types of neurodiversity.
When Hathy learned this, she donated note cards made from her original work to help ASPIE artists. The cards are now available on the ASPIE site, and all proceeds go to help ASPIE artists. You can see them here.
“In that organization, people will get it,” she said of the work. My painting is not based on winning awards. I have a passion for it. If it helps people, then that’s even better.”
Hathy is part of ASPIE’s Generous Donor program, which invites people and companies to donate products that are then offered on the ASPIE Gallery. The proceeds provide much-needed supplemental income for ASPIE artists, helping them grow more self-sufficient.
Hathy’s cards fit well in the ASPIE gallery, which features unique artistic gifts. Her paintings are infused with color and light and she works in a diversity of styles that is unusual in a single artist. Like many who display on ASPIE, Hathy takes inspiration from the world around her.
“All of my life, I’ve been an observer,” she said. “I like observing people and what’s around me. Color. Light. Shadows.”
For years, Hathy has kept a notebook on hand to record ideas. Often, the things that catch her eye are not the usual artistic materials. “I didn’t go to art school, so I had to creatively challenge myself,” she said. “What can I do with an object? What can I do with a shape? How do I present this in a different way?”
What advice does she give ASPIE artists?
“If you are really true to yourself, you’ll do it because you have a passion for it,” she said. “If you’re really not passionate to paint it, then you are not painting from your heart.”
