Artist Statement

"Mythic imagery exerts a vivid hold over me for, embedded in its poetry and mystery are the powerful forces of life itself. These often-tragic tales contain the stories of nature as well as the heroic, and they articulate the collective unconscious of the psyche. I see allegories as far more complex and highly symbolic - they have many layers of meaning.

Drawing can be notes, sketches, first thoughts or preparation for a painting or it can be the work in its own right. I prefer to draw with the traditional tools of conte crayons, compressed charcoal and pastel - half-tones of a smudge, solid sharp lines, these textural qualities animate the surface paper as I continually see-saw between success and failure.

Drawing constantly importunes me on some deep inner level; time drops out as I push to realise a form, to make a black even more intense; to contrast lines with tones and achieve spatial depths. As I work, I find myself thinking of music and the different cadences of sound". Bettina

“Ancient myth and allegorical subjects have always fascinated me. They give me the scope to use a variety of animal images, especially horses which are a great love of mine.

The horse is powerful, noble and intrinsically part of our human life, bound to us through ancient myth and the exploration of our temporal world.” Bettina

IMAGES: STUDIOS RUSHCUTTERS BAY & PARIS

“A trip to Tuscany renewed my love for the great frescos of Florence and Arezzo and whilst in Sienna rekindled my memories of witnessing the parading of the II Palio Horsemen, an emblem of Siena’s glorious medieval past. The rest of my work are re-occurring images and speak of my constant devotion to animals and ancient Myths.” Bettina

TECHNIQUES:

SUGAR LIFT

Sugar lift is a method whereby a direct line or brush mark can be made. A sticky solution of sugar, indian ink is used on the plate to paint the design. When the ink is dry and the whole plate has been coated with a 'stop out' varnish and again allowed to dry the plate is immersed in warm water, the 'sugared ink' then dissolves thus exposing the metal. The plate is then coated with aquatint dust, fused on a hot plate an the final step is to place it in an acid bath where it is bitten to various tones or depths.

"This technique for me is direct and spontaneous and allows for a greater freedom in drawing, it also combines with the further use of intaglio techniques in the development of the final image."

CHINE APPLIQUE

Chine applique is a process in which sheets of paper are laminated together by the pressure of the etching press and the size in the paper. This allows the artist the use of beautiful papers which by themselves would be fragile for the printing process.

'I have used the ARCHES a French paper and the Japanese paper GAMPI made from KOZO fibre which reminds me of silken tissue."

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