July 2016: Betsy LeVine
Betsy LeVine paints in oils on birch panels. Her concept for this show, "Beauty Is Before Me", concerning flora and mirrors. She carried a small circular pocket mirror and photographed flowers. As she puts it flowers discovering their own vibrant reflections. Betsy LeVine uses her attentive brushwork and keen eye for nuances in light and color to celebrate the natural beauty in the world around her. "When I wander through neighborhoods and on trails in the mountains, forests, and deserts, I find my gait slows and my eyes are ever dawn towards the intricacies in the plant life around me. It is as if the flowers, leaves and the play of sunlight through them are all calling to me, telling me to slow down, to just look and soak in the bountiful beauty in every moment. It feels like a joyous lifetime responsibility of mine to take on the role of a mirror for the quiet gorgeousness that surrounds us all the time, to not only reflect appreciation back to the planet for these gifts but also to recreate this beauty on a larger scale in hopes that it will allow others into this worthy world. "Beauty Is Before Me" therefore, it is also before you."