Cement, original Betker oil on canvas, Seattle’s Harbor Island, industrial-recreational marina

Cement, © BVF Betker, oil on canvas, 36” x 36”

Seattle’s Harbor Island, mixed-use industrial and recreational marina
Currently exhibited and available at Jamieson Furniture Gallery, Bellevue, Washington
www.greatroomfurn.com/
See more at www.betkerfineart.com.
Inquires to halfsweet@betkerart.com

ReEntry!

Sweet Revenge, © BVF Betker 2014, mixed media collage on canvas, 24” x 18”

Time to savor the pleasures of the studio!  Swimming upstream all the way, this collage is composed of woven acrylic skins, acrylic and oil paints on paper, molded acrylic forms, wood, and hand-painted silk threads and shreds.  What is not to love?  We work hard, we play for keeps.

Inquire through this blog or at halfsweet@betkerart.com. Visit website for more!

old town, new discovery

Today I had the privilege of going to Tacoma to meet with Urban Sketchers from several communities in our region!  There's a building there that has intrigued me for quite a while and begs to be immortalized, so I took the opportunity to sketch it for the first time.
At the same time I had the pleasure of trying out a new fountain pen!  I have been timid of fountain pens so this was a new experience and I really enjoyed it.  It is the Platinum Carbon Desk Fountain Pen, a Japanese pen available only at JetPens.  When it arrived, I couldn't read the instructions due to my language deficit, but took heart from the illustration showing me how to thrust the included ink cartridge into the forward section of the pen and get the ink flowing using a tissue.  It flows beautifully and I looked forward to trying it out today at the sketchcrawl.
The ink is pigment-based and permanent, a must when adding watercolor over drawn line work!
So I was delighted to learn today that not only did this pen continue to release the ink in a reliable flow, but that a variety of line strengths/widths is available with different angles and pressure.  Once dry -- the sun was hot today so that made this quick! -- the ink stayed put when watercolor was overlaid.
Best of all, the pen was still willing to draw on top of the watercolor layers -- something I have found lacking in the disposable "artist pens" I've always used from another manufacturer.  This has made this pen my new best friend, and I have already ordered a couple more like it to keep in different places, and more of this marvellous ink.
Here is my Moleskine sketch of the day, of the Albers Bros. Milling Co. building, now apparently repurposed as lofts:

Very sketchy indeed, but I had a lot of fun, and note the ink-over-color potential here!  I look forward to doing some serious experimenting with this pen.
Here is the link to learn about/order one from JetPens:
JetPens Platinum Carbon Desk Fountain Pen
Congratulations to JetPens for offering this marvellous product. I am really grateful to have learned about it!

secret gardens

This Saturday we celebrate the Secret Gardens of Lake Forest Park!  I will be privileged to paint in the garden of Betsy and George Piano.

Meanwhile, throughout June please visit the Sunlight Cafe and consider giving a home to one of my primitavist knifepaintings of Northwest human habitat -- pruning helps us thrive, in art as in gardening!
view my website

plein beginnings

untitled, copyright BVF Betker 2011, w/c and ink on resin-infused paper

This began when Leigh took Seattle Plein Air folks to the new footbridge across the creek up in Lake Forest Park several weeks ago. Out there in the trees, I used gouache on black multimedia artboard to create a value study. But pretty soon the rain sent us all running for cover (of course).
Later I added pale watercolor washes for moody stage 2 (immediately above), and then just kept working and adding layers till my desired image emerged (top). I think paint is some kind of magic!

landscape party

ink and watercolor stick on paper, 13 x 10, copyright 2011

flickr has a new group which shares reference photos for mutual 2D experimentation. Here is my rendition of a photo reference titled Minster Lovell by Martin Beek of the UK.

new old fiber arts

Mustang Kimono with Fish (detail), woven acrylic skins on plexiglas, copyright 2010


This summer I've been reclaiming some notes from my past, sometimes in 3 dimensions, mixing various media as fiber. Here are some parts of the process, combining layering, collage, mosaic and weaving of skins made of acrylic paint that also incorporate painted paper and hand-dyed silk threads.




'

Reweaving II, woven and collaged acrylic skins
with painted paper on stretched gessoed canvas,
36" x 36", copyright 2010

Updrafts, 20" x 20", copyright 2010
collage mosaic on painted canvas comprised on acrylic skins, painted paper, hand-dyed silk