Photo by Andrew Nelson

CUMMING—As a lifelong artist, Patricia Mattozzi embraced one of the little-known traditions of iconography: never signing her work.  

Faithful artists “write” the sacred image, not paint them; at the same time, they never leave a personal signature. 

“That’s a good spiritual discipline to work on, just do the art and be able to walk away and leave it for people to be blessed by,” said Mattozzi sitting in the comfortable kitchen of her Cumming home.  

Having spent several decades in the profession, Mattozzi for the past years has taken to the tradition-bound work of depicting this sacred art. The Catholic Art Institute, based in Nashville, recognized her work at its 2024 Sacred Art Prize. Her submission titled “The Eucharistic Christ” received an honorable mention. The institute aims to encourage artists to “use their gifts to glorify God and captivate souls through beauty,” according to its website.  

Mattozzi studied at a two-year art school in Pennsylvania before embarking on a career, initially illustrating greeting cards and later freelancing while raising two children with her minister husband. 

In her late 20s, Mattozzi and her husband, Richard, experienced a profound renewal that deepened their Christian faith. She recommitted her artistic talents to pursuing devotional paintings. 

Patricia Mattozzi has been painting for decades. “All the art I do is to glorify the Lord,” she said. Photo by Andrew Nelson

Her husband was a Methodist pastor, but she felt drawn to the Catholic Church and later joined the church. She is a longtime member of Good Shepherd Church in Cumming, where several of her art pieces are displayed, including a portrait of St. Vincent de Paul hanging near the poor box. She has served families in need as member of the St. Vincent de Paul ministry.  

In past years, she’s practiced both styles, iconography and a more contemporary look for her commercial work. She continues to work with Altar + Home by Conception Abbey, a religious goods store, creating art, greeting cards and holy cards. 

The wall of her home studio is crowded with originals. Her unfinished work fills large and small easels, done in designer’s gouache and acrylic. One of the many framed pieces is titled “The Good Shepherd,” created for her work in prison ministry in Fort Worth, Texas. She taught a pre-release program at a women’s federal prison, painting Jesus as the Good Shepherd for the women, to be given to them upon release. 

Icons were not part of Mattozzi’s portfolio until a trip to the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. In the store, she bought a book on icons. It was written by artist Gregory Melnick who happened to live in Syracuse, New York, her home at the time. She visited his studio and after reviewing her work, he encouraged her to pursue iconography, she said.  

From the conversation, she was reminded how humility and prayer are tied together in the artistic process.  

The Catholic Art Institute, based in Nashville, recognized Patricia Mattozzi’s work at its 2024 Sacred Art Prize. Her submission titled “The Eucharistic Christ” received an honorable mention. It is the icon on the right. Photo by Andrew Nelson

“You can’t do any of it without prayer and relying on God,” she said. She practices this habit daily, going into her studio with the mindset of entering a sacred space and desiring to understand and follow God’s will.  

Her award-winning “Eucharistic Christ” began when she imagined a new image of the famous 1934 painting “Divine Mercy” with a more compassionate expression than the traditional depiction of Jesus. She submitted to a shrine, but it was not accepted. Around the same time, the National Eucharistic Congress took place in Indianapolis. The artist was inspired by the conference she watched. She began to see the image in a new light as she prayed for guidance.  

She added the eucharistic imagery with the sacred host, held by Jesus, and kept the beams of light emitting from the Sacred Heart to emphasize Christ as the “bread of life.”  

Her goal is for the icon and many of her works to inspire people in their faith.  

“All the art I do is to glorify the Lord. You have to really have a deep commitment to serving God and not focusing on your own glorification,” said Mattozzi. “It has to be really the art is a form of prayer.”