Currently displayed on the walls of Tilde are seven brand new pieces of art by Portland artist Betsy Walton. We’ve always loved Betsy’s creations which pull you into a world that seems somewhat mysterious and immerse you deeply into the story dwelling within each piece. Her show has been extended to June 9th and prints are available too!  During the opening of her Tilde show a few weeks ago we asked Betsy a few ‘behind the scenes’ questions on her work.

Tell us a bit about your process in creating a body of work for a gallery showing.

First, I try to get an idea of the space I will be working in. Its helpful to get a visual, or at a minimum, the dimensions of the walls where the work will be displayed. Then I choose the how many and what size paintings I will make for the show. To start the paintings I usually lay down a wash or colored ground of some sort. This is always different, but I try to start all the pieces with a similar ground so that they are relevant to each other.  For this group, I had an idea that I wanted to work with a few goddess-like characters. I also wanted to develop an atmosphere of peaceful energy in the paintings.  I sketched out a few compositions in pencil on top of the ground, and then started the process of adding layers of color and shapes to complete the paintings.  Meanwhile, I thumbed through a book of early Christian paintings and mosaics. This ended up being an important reference for these paintings. I was really inspired by their use of gold leaf, and some of the stylized ornamental shapes and plants.  Once the major compositional elements are locked in, I spend a lot of time adding details, adjusting color, and making sure everything feels right.

For the artwork currently on display at Tilde, Betsy used acrylic gouache on wood panels. She also use a pencil here and there, but they are primarily painted. So why this choice of mediums?