Montana Artworking by Cindy Betka

'Gentle Whisper' 16" X 16" Oil I am pleased to announce that my work 'Gentle Whisper' has been juried into the 18th Annual Art Auction Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art Presents it's 18th Annual Art Auction: April Showers Bloom Art at The Square. Join us, Saturday, April 11, 2015 for the Live Art Auction. Selected works go on display beginning Thursday, March 19th, 2015

Each painting I create I continue to learn every step of the way. Also, I do not start each painting the same way. Having finished one series of paintings I am transitioning into the next. This next series is a fascination with fresh water. Fresh water is our most precious resource; take care of it. This series is titled 'Living Water'. The following are steps in the progress of this painting. More to Come......

To show what paintings are in the 'Spacious Skies' Exhibition, I displayed them on my web site in the first two pages of the 'paintings' tab. Links:  http://www.crbart.com/landscapes.htm   and    http://www.crbart.com/landscapes2.htm   My last blog probably had way too much info in it. I confess that I just copied the press release from the Pen Gallery. This painting is the only one not on those web pages. I am holding off until I am satisfied with it. Frosted Grass 20" X 20" Oil

Old Montana Prison Museums News  “Spacious Skies” - landscape oil paintings by   Cindy Betka   Powell County Museum and Arts Foundation   Opening reception for “Spacious Skies”- landscape oil paintings by Cindy Betka   Thursday, April 30, 2015,  5:00-7:30 P.M. Location of Exhibition/ Event:  PEN Art Gallery, 925 Main Street, Deer Lodge, MT 59722 Cost:  Free to the public Contact Person:  Melanie Sanchez, Registrar   (406)-846-3111  melanieregistrar@pcmaf.org   www.oldprisonmuseum.com Summary of Exhibition/ Event: The Powell County Museum and Arts Foundation in Deer Lodge, MT is proud to present the upcoming exhibition  “Spacious Skies.”  The exhibition, consisting of a series of vibrant landscape oil paintings on board by Butte artist  Cindy Betka , will be on view at the PEN Art Gallery in Deer Lodge from April 30 until September 30, 2015. This beautiful...

The use of grays in a painting does not need to be dull and boring. The proper use of gray makes the accent colors really sing. Sometimes paintings that have too many intense, bright colors just look too garish. It is best to mix your grays with complimentary colors you are using in the painting. Some artists will mix their left over colors up in a gray for safe keeping later. Winter Fox 9" X 12" The painting of the fox in the forest I used a complimentary scheme of yellow and purple. The colors were muted down using those two compliments into a range of grays. Senator Nelson Wilmarth Aldrich Anders Zorn 1913 From the book: ‘Anders Zorn; Sweden’s Master Painter’ , I scanned a few of his paintings that had extensive grays. Fish Market in Saint Ives Anders Zorn 1888 Summer Vacation Anders Zorn 1886

In progress, on the easel, is this snow challenge. The snow was fresh when I took the photo references. Fresh light power snow reflects light on the surface and into the subsurfaces. The shadows reflect the sky color, blue in this case. In cloudy days the shadows are grayer, there is more sun than dark clouds here. Overall, the snow picks up the colors that surround it. I went with a warm red underpainting for contrast and bits of that peak through here and there.