Artist in Residence

Posted by Lisa & Rena

Portland artist Betsy Walton is having a show at our store in San Francisco this month and we couldn’t be more excited. We sat down with her to ask her about art and life.

L+R: Your work is so beautiful and distinct. Tell us a little bit about your painting style and how it came to be.

BW: My work has evolved gradually. I started out with observational drawing and painting. Working in a straight realist style was satisfying on some levels, but I wanted to carve out a new path. So I began to combine drawing and painting techniques with imagery and stories that appealed to me on a deeper level. I also took up printmaking and it informed the way I think about creating an image. The lasting impact is seen in my use of layering, flat shapes, textures, and repetition.

The style I'm using now is made up of a few things fused together. I love to draw. This is my initial passion. My second love is color. This is followed by pattern and then nature. The next element is the human element -- the figure, the manmade objects. I also have an enduring interest in patterns and decorative elements, so that crops up a lot. This has been a theme in my work for several years. I just really enjoy working with these facets, and all the formal aspects of the work.

L+R: More recently, you've started creating narratives.

BW: Yes, over the past couple of years, I’ve been merging the patterns with figures and landscapes so that I can create narratives. I've always been a person with diverse interests, and I'm attempting to bring all of them into the paintings. This is mostly an intuitive process, and I am gradually shaping the narratives and experimenting with their particulars. How resolved are the stories? How specific is the mood?  How much mystery should I leave in the work? Balancing the light and dark elements is another area I am working with. I'm interested in the tension between the two forces, both visually and metaphorically.

L+R: How would you describe your approach to the work?

BW: My approach is to make a lot of paintings and drawings, because this will eventually result in the clarification of ideas and visual styles. I usually work through a series of visual fragments that pop up in my imagination during the beginning of the painting process. The other part of the process is the editing, shaping, and finishing. This is the tricky stage; it’s easy to go too far or not far enough.

The most compelling thing for me right now is the process of developing narratives. I feel like I am still at the beginning of this practice. I want to be able to continue to use my intuitive, spontaneous approach while presenting images that can provide an authentic meaningful experience for the viewer.

L+R: Your paintings have an "otherworldly" quality to them. Where does this come from?

BW: I think it comes from a need to create something that feels fresh. I like new places with surprises.

L+R: Describe a really good day.

BW: Sunshine, 77 degrees, iced tea, freshly-mowed grass, and reading a book outside.

L+R: To what extent do your paintings match your personality or spirit?

BW: I think the work is shaped by my interests and experiences, but it is a different entity. It’s fiction informed by my life.

L+R: Name a few of your favorite things.

BW: My friends and family, swimming, BBQ, and beauty. I'm excited for warmer weather.

Betsy’s show “Sacred Spring” opens tonight (April 30) from 7-9 at Rare Device, located at 1845 Market Street in San Francisco. All of her work is available for sale online at raredevice.net.

Comments

[Chris Rusak]

Beautiful work and nice interview. The repetition of the visual image is something I feel is very important to printmakers. How nice that Betsy identifies with that.

[Carrie]

I love Betsy's swimming tee-shirt at Doe San Fran