Contemporary artist Betsy Eby embraces big themes and her work is pervaded by spirituality and sublimity, as are the paintings of Anselm Kiefer and Cy Twombly, two artists she much admires. A practising pianist, Eby creates sublime images of nature that are as deeply influenced by classical music as by a sense of place. Eby aims to connect to the energy found in living things, seeking rhythm and lyricism in the natural world that she then translates onto canvas. Today her work reveals that interconnected sensitivity: her delicate, organic compositions become synesthesias of sound and image.
"I was born in Seaside, Oregon where the wild Pacific Ocean and the grandeur of nature informed me."
Eby uses the technique of wax encaustic, an ancient process by which layers of pigments, sap and wax are fused together by the flame of a torch. Through this layering process the passage of time is visible. Her works move between dynamic surfaces and deep luminous spaces on the canvas, creating a depth in the canvas as forms are obscured or highlighted. Her meditative practice distils her subjects into something mystical, hovering between the material and immaterial, creating compositions that speak to the infinite and timeless.
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Pacifica,encaustic wax on board140cm x 178cm (55" x 70")
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Solea,encaustic wax on board178cm x 152cm (70" x 60")
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Event Horizon,encaustic wax on board102cm x 147cm (40" x 58")
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Day Break,encaustic wax on board122cm x 86.5cm (48" x 34")
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Sorceress,encaustic wax on board178cm x 140cm (70" x 55")
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Tupelo,encaustic wax on board89cm x 114cm (35" x 45")
Betsy Eby was born in Seaside, Oregon in 1967 and currently lives and works in Columbus, Georgia and Wheaton Island, Maine. Eby earned her BA in Art History at the University of Oregon in 1990 and has since exhibited her artworks widely, showing across the United States and Europe. Her works are held in numerous public and private collections including the Tacoma Museum of Art and the Columbus Museum of Art.
Education
1990 | BA Art History, University of Oregon, USA. |
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2023 | 'Rhythmic Variations' (Online Exhibition), Winston Wächter Fine Art, USA. | |
2022 | 'This Is Where I Begin', Winston Wachter Fine Art, New York, NY (work shown since 2003). | |
'Paintings from Wheaton', Dowling Walsh Gallery, Maine, USA. | ||
2021 | 'You Are The Sky', Octavia Gallery, Rockland ME, USA. | |
2017 | 'Frequency', Cadogan Gallery, London, UK. | |
2015 | 'Southern Spirituals', Winston Wachter Fine Art, Seattle, USA (work shown since 2002). | |
2012 | 'Ayres and Fantasies', David Klein Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan, USA. |
selected Group EXHIBITIONS
2021 | 'Songs Without Words: The Art of Music', Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, USA. | |
2021 | 'From The Inside Out', Gross McLeaf Gallery, Philadelphia, USA. | |
2016 | 'Waterways IV', Heather Gaudio Fine Art, Greenwich, USA. | |
2015 | '180 Degrees', The Curator Gallery, New York, USA. | |
2009 | 'Lasting Legacies: The First 75 Years', Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Eugene, Oregon, USA. | |
2004 | New York Contemporary in Greenwich, Conneticut, USA. | |
1999 | 'Encaustic Works 99', Sponsor’s Award, Jurored by Judith Pfaff, Watermark Cargo Gallery, Kingston, | |
New York, USA. | ||
'Artwork for AIDS', Seattle Center Gallery, Seattle, Washington, USA. |
Selected Collections
Jordan Schnitzer Museum, Eugene, OR
Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA
United States Embassy, Dubai, UAE, Permanent Collection
2008–2010, United States Embassy, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
2004–2006, United States Embassy, Banjul, Gambia
Boeing Corporate Headquarters, Chicago, IL
Trump Tower, Atlantic City, NJ
Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
Nordstrom Inc., National Collection
Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA
Saks Fifth Avenue, Phoenix, AZ
Ritz Carlton, Rancho Mirage, CA
Hollywood Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, CA
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BETSY EBY | DOWN EAST | ARTICLE
Joyce Kryszak, Down East, January 26, 2024 -
BETSY EBY | VOYAGE ATL MAGAZINE | INTERVIEW
Voyage ATL Magazine, October 21, 2020 -
BETSY EBY | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC | FEATURE
Katy Kelleher, National Geographic , August 12, 2020 -
BETSY EBY | MAINE HOMES MAGAZINE | FEATURE
Joyce Kryszak , Maine Homes Magazine, May 1, 2020 -
BETSY EBY | THE LOCAL MAGAZINE COLUMBUS | FEATURE
Tom Ingram , The Local Magazine Columbus , May 17, 2019 -
BETSY EBY | IKONESS | FEATURE
Alex de Boisset, Ikoness, March 29, 2017 -
BETSY EBY | COLUMBUS ARTS MAGAZINE | FEATURE
Brenda Stevens , Columbus Arts Magazine , October 10, 2016 -
BETSY EBY | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE | FEATURE
Allison Alsup , The New Orleans Advocate, June 23, 2015 -
BETSY EBY | AMERICAN ART COLLECTOR
American Art Collector , April 1, 2015 -
BETSY EBY | GARDEN&GUN MAGAZINE | FEATURE
John Kessler , Garden&Gun, December 1, 2014 -
BETSY EBY | THE MAINE MAGAZINE | FEATURE
Sophie Nelson , The Maine Magazine, October 1, 2014 -
BETSY EBY | MOOD OF LIVING MAGAZINE | FEATURE
Mood of Living Magazine , August 8, 2014 -
BETSY EBY | THE PARIS REVIEW | FEATURE
Liz Arnold , The Paris Review , March 10, 2014