About the Artist
Betsy Bird started painting at eight years old when she began taking lessons in the afternoons at a local high school. As she matured, so did her work, and she decided to seriously pursue the discipline in high school while curating her AP portfolios.
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Attending Indiana Wesleyan University, her style was refined into what it is today. It was there that Bird received her BFA in Studio Arts.
She works in mediums including acrylic, oils, and watercolor. Her paintings capture the defining and necessary physical traits of a subject while more definingly translating a mood or relationship with the subject through color, stroke, and composition. Her style walks the line between realism and abstraction. Her subject matter consists of landscapes and candid figurative scenes, both of which capture the essence of the active space.
Letter from the Artist
My approach to painting is founded in my worldview and my pursuit of glorifying Christ in my creative process and the pieces themselves. When I create I am reflecting the inventive attributes of my God and designer. I use my work as a way to process emotions and experiences. While capturing the scenes I am conversing with God, thanking Him for the subject, the opportunity, the people, and the experiences I am drawing from. The tangible process of painting is an invitation for me to respond to His complexity through the movement of paint and the evolving composition of a piece. My subject matter consists of landscapes, scenes of everyday life, and memories. While the finished paintings are representational, segments of the composition lend themselves to an abstract interpretation as I allow for the paint to act like paint, avoiding smooth rendering. I lean heavily on elements of design and color-blocking to implement visual engagement and aesthetic composition.
One of my recent portfolios was dedicated to documenting feelings and moments that could not be captured with words. My favorite part of the creative process is listening and searching. After taking my time to familiarize myself with the setting and people, I interpret my discoveries with each brushstroke. My mission is to honor these moments with humility and respect so that the occasion is accurately represented not in detail but in substance.
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- Betsy Bird
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ART AWARDS:
IWU Galleriy’s Juried Art Student Invitational (2023)
Second in Show
IWU Garllery’s Juried Art Student Invitational (2024)
JAZI award
COMMISSIONS:
Outdoor Jungle Mural (2022)
Indianapolis, IN.
Center Mural (2023)
Center Hall Indiana Wesleyan University
Marion, IN.
Noggle Mural (2023-2024)
Noggle Christian Ministries Center Indiana Wesleyan University
Marion, IN.
PUBLISHED WORKS:
Illustrated:
This is Not What I Expected: Finding Your New Normal As a New Mom
EXHIBITIONS:
Ratatouille (group show)
Curfman Gallery (2023)
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First Impressions (group show)
Curfman Gallery (2024)
Familiar Impressions
Williams Gallery (2024)