It all began with an Instagram post of California artist Bettina Norton’s latest work. Tahoe captured my eye, but Bettina captured my heart. I was smitten by her hauntingly beautiful technique of bringing subjects to life while still maintaining a dream-like aura.
Bettina’s work has a quality of impressionistic spontaneity—effortless and bold, yet not careless. Her use of charcoal, sumi ink, gold leaf and acrylic gives her a freedom of motion that drives her towards emotional forms of expression. There is no sense of overworked detail and the end results have a free flowing and playful feel. It makes me think that she creates from memories or fragments of dreams.
When you look at Bettina’s art, there is no getting away from horses. Even if you have never engaged with her work, you will be familiar with her style—she is a master of light and shadow, with the ability to create detail and intrigue with the slightest of strokes.
I love that Bettina doesn’t feel the need to drench every piece in color; in fact most of my favorite pieces from her collection are actually monochromatic with hints of gold leaf that yield texture and dimensionality. So simple, yet so glam!
Although I would happily hang any of Bettina’s compositions in my house, I am most drawn to “Girl”. I think it speaks to all savvy Equine Girl Bosses out there who are conscious of their power and know how to use it. I can also relate to the seemingly immeasurable bond the subject has with her horse.
Of course the few works above don’t even scratch the surface of what Bettina is capable of, so be sure to check out her website if you’d like to view more of her creations, or learn more about her many watercolor techniques.
