Judi Betts : Sunshine in my heart
Judi Betts, "Glorious Garden,” watercolor on paper, 22 x 30 in, 2019
FIRST WEDNESDAY OPENING RECEPTION: 05/01, 6 - 9 P.M.
artICULATE aRTIST tALK: sUNDAY, 05/19 AT 4 P.M.
Acclaimed watercolor artist Judi Betts has always aimed to stimulate discussion and thought about everyday subjects and scenes with her work. In recent months, despite botanical illustration not generally being of interest to her, she has found sunflowers fascinating. Everything from the irregularity of the blossoms to the torn foliage caught her attention and found their way into her studio.
Judi Betts, “Barn Dance,” watercolor on paper, 30 x 22 in, 2019
Betts was trained to see in black and white, something which forces her to see negative shapes and think about contrast. Her approach to contrast, she feels, creates excitement and tension by utilizing flat area shapes to weave positive and negative shapes together.
“Painting, for me, is the result of emotions which have evolved from personal experiences,” says Betts. “I savor cheerfulness; and I try to be an optimistic, enthusiastic person. Emotion does not have to be happiness, but happiness is what I choose to display. I enjoy taking ordinary, intimate scenes and developing them into dramatic, simplified presentations by utilizing light, abstract configurations, and invented color.”
Judi Betts is a highly respected painter, instructor, juror and author, who has attained an international reputation for her transparent watercolor paintings. She is the author of two award winning books: WATERCOLOR…Let’s Think About It (5th printing) and PAINTING…a QUEST toward XTRAORDINARY (5 AWARDS).
Judi has conducted over 425 workshops in 48 states and 10 foreign countries, including invitational sessions in Norway, Puerto Rico, Sweden and Canada. She has won over 125 awards in major competitions including the Transparent Watercolor Society of America “Master of Watercolor” designation; a special award for “Contributions to the medium of Watercolor” by Watercolor USA Honor Society and their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.
This exhibition is presented alongside the latest works from James Burke, Hye Yeon Nam, and Steve Schmidt. All works from these four artists are on view, free of charge, during normal gallery hours (12 - 6 p.m., Tue - Sun) through May 30, 2019.