Betsy & Iya Jewelry

I forget how much I love drawing and painting until I’m actually doing it.  And then it’s as if the world melts away, all of my troubles, fears, obligations, sadness; I find myself in a smooth, colorful, geometric, creamy, limitless world of adventure,  joy, and peace…no matter the subject.

Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of doing some decorating consulting and design work for Georgetown University’s Foot & Ankle Center.  During my last visit, we decided that the space was really aching for color pops.  I rounded up some of my favorite paints and put together a collection that I thought would go beautifully against the dark blue walls in the space.

One thing I love about DC and Virginia (my home state) is the warmth and color of the landscape.  There’s a reason they say it’s for lovers– you pretty much can’t beat the Blue Ridge Mountains…  Oh, and DC’s abundant cherry blossoms.  I wanted the paintings to have a cohesiveness while remaining independent.

I loved the idea of cherry blossoms as the through line.  So the cherry blossom was the impetus (along with the right kind of blues), then I kinda went nuts from there.  The top painting is also the bottom painting, flipped around.  It’s the most abstract; it’s my favorite.

This one is huge, 30 x 40 inches.  I painted it horizontally, as seen at the top.  When finished, I played with which angle was my favorite and why.  This vertical version reminds me of a calm creek or stream (also very Virginia) and the sun going down on a summer’s day, with fish jumping and fireflies waving and micro eco-systems thriving.  It reminds me of a place I want to be.

I really should do this more often.

***Song of the Moment: A Sunday Smile, by Beirut***