Amanda Tester Snyder is known for her paintings of birds, clowns, dolls, still life, houses, and barns as well as for her abstract compositions. Her works—which combine strong forms, vigorous brushwork, and rich color—align her with other early modern painters in Oregon, including her friends C.S. Price and Charles Heaney.

Amanda Tester was born near Mountain City, Tennessee, the oldest of the five children of William Jefferson Tester and Della Lee Hull Tester. When she was nine, the family moved to Roseburg, Oregon. In grade school, she showed aptitude for art, as did her younger brother Jefferson Tester (1899-1972), who also became an artist.

In 1916, Amanda married Edmund Snyder, an Aurora Colony descendant. They ...