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Why I Paint…
One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an abstract artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.
That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn’t emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.
It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.
I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.
Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.
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About the ArtistYour Tour Guide
Betsy Cole
Working with vibrant colors and inspired by Abstract Expressionism, Betsy Cole is a painter whose greatest influence comes from Bali, with its warmth and generosity, and where art is conceived as a dance that magically unveils the emotions along life's journey.
Why My Paintings are Untitled
Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,”it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.
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Betsy Cole Art, Betsy Cole
Boulder, Colorado
United States
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Betsy Cole Art, Betsy Cole
Boulder, Colorado
United States
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