BETSY EBY SOUTHERN SPIRITUALS
Betsy Eby's move to her husband Bo Bartlett's hometown of Columbus, Georgia, two years ago has increased her awareness of edges. Not only does she see them more in her encaustic painting, as the increased light compared to her previous Seattle home makes them stand out, but they're also more present culturally, in terms of race, religion and politics. It's an influence that comes through in her current collection of more than 15 works at Winston Wächter Fine Art in Seattle.
"In this current body of work, what I've noticed is a greater comfort in expressing color in the work and having the work have a greater contrast to it," Eby says. "I think I'm more comfortable expressing the edges."
A striking example of colour and distinct edges is Montgomery, spanning nearly 6 feet wide with a dark background and light foreground, the beeswax and dammar crystal mixture topping the canvas evoking a musical journey.