Betsy Davidson

With a background in traditional landscape painting and an affinity toward Abstract Expressionism, Betsy B. Davidson accesses a rich visual vocabulary.  Using oil and acrylic paint, gouache, ink, collage materials, and other media, she develops distinct and unusual compositions by embracing chance and her intuitive “first thoughts.” Often viewed as abstract arrangements, the paintings and collages can also create their own landscape.

Davidson sees each of her compositions as an activated dialogue of formal connections – between line, shape, color and space.  In a process that could involve layering, scraping and scratching, a seductive and nuanced surface is revealed.  There is breathability, where elements can float, advance or recede.  As Davidson explains, “I allow myself to see possibilities in the mark-making and to embrace the unpredictable, serendipitous moments…all in a practice where the subconscious and intuitive is folded into the formal, traditional concerns of picture-making.”