Residence

Snohomish County, Wa,

Place of Birth

Flint, Mi,

Personal Statement

In a life that can be quirky and unpredictable, where chaos is often the norm, and where most plans are tentative, my artistic work provides a refuge.   I’ve spent two decades raising children all the while fitting ‘artist’ into a mix of diapers, housekeeping, soccer practices and the PTA.  Straddling the worlds of housewife devoted to her kids and artist devoted to her craft has not been easy, (I’ve often likened my experience to that of a circus performer who spins multiple plates on poles, running back and forth to keep them all in motion).  Not surprisingly this dichotomy has informed my work in some obvious and not so obvious ways.   

Over the years my work has moved along two paths.  On one path I’ve explored my personal, but by no means unique, experience: performing a traditional woman’s role in a modern world.  I’ve done this by thinking, (a lot) while going about the daily routine of raising a family, then stealing quiet moments to write and sketch, followed by longer stints in the studio to produce a final piece.  Personal but not necessarily autobiographical, these pieces reveal my eccentric observations of mothering, relationships and family life.  Cerebral and physical, this work requires focused thought and brute strength; the former in the deconstructing and reconstructing of an image inherent in the printmaking process; the latter in the use of tools to carve plates and transfer marks from plate to paper.   

The other path allows me to clean up after myself.  When I finish printing an edition, I use the leftover ink to print small linocut images and patterns on small pieces of paper.  I then squirrel away these scraps and remnants until my tiny studio is cluttered and a purge is required.  These odds and ends are assembled into pieces about frugality, repetition, tidiness and control.  The process used to create this work is nothing like the thoughtful methodology required in producing an edition of prints.  Quite to the contrary, the approach is messy, sticky and chaotic; a reflection of my domestic life.  In defiance of the method and in revenge of domestic untidiness, the result is an orderly containment of loose ends, leftovers and miscellany.   

The two types of work inform each other as well; heavy layering shows up in the formal prints, and obscure content shows up in the paper assemblages.  Treading these two paths provides me with the opportunity to ruminate, reflect, organize and arrange, and I’m allowed a healthy balance of chaos and control.

Awards and Honors

2001 Artist Trust/Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship

Contact Information

betsy@betsybestspadaro.com

Artist's Website

www.betsybestspadaro.com