Lynn Rattray is a Tampa-based mixed media artist whose work explores the connections between nature, memory, and the human experience.
Although creativity has always been part of her life, Lynn spent much of her professional career serving as a teacher, counselor, and school principal before returning fully to her artistic practice. What began with painting wildlife and birds gradually evolved into a broader exploration of the natural world and the stories it reflects back to us.
Today, Lynn creates both representational and abstract works from her studio in Tampa’s historic Ybor City. Her paintings range from the beloved Ybor City chicken portraits that celebrate the personalities of the area’s free-roaming birds to expressive abstract floral works that explore themes of relationship, resilience, community, and growth.
Working intuitively with acrylic, oil, graphite, charcoal, and mixed media, she is drawn to color, movement, layered surfaces, and the unexpected discoveries that emerge during the creative process. Whether painting a rooster, a bluebird, or an abstracted bloom, Lynn seeks to capture a sense of wonder, connection, and joy.
Her work has appeared in the Hallmark film Love in the Sun and has been featured in Chickens Magazine. She maintains a studio at Kress Contemporary in Ybor City and is represented by Drew Marc Gallery in Tampa.
Above all, Lynn hopes her paintings invite viewers to pause, look closely, and find a moment of beauty, curiosity, or recognition within their own lives.