starfish Archives - Betty Butler

Warm colors for cold days

As the temperatures plunge and the snow falls, allow these new beach collages to take you to a pleasant warm place. In your imagination, this is a place where you can walk along a beautiful, fanciful beach, where starfish, sea urchins, seashells and bright colors populate the path. Imagine yourself dipping your toes in the warm, inviting sand while feeling a refreshing ocean breeze.

I hope these images give you a slight reprieve from winter’s reign.

The starfish are back

I have used starfish (sea stars) in my digital collages on and off for almost five years to create these imagined beaches. Coincidentally, it was five years ago that the stars began to suffer a massive die-off on California’s coast. Scientists now believe that the cause was multi-factored, including warmer waters and a virus.

But the starfish are coming back! Scientists have recently observed young sea stars flourishing on the coasts. A new study compared DNA of sea stars from before and after the outbreak and found the juveniles who are succeeding in coastal ecosystems today share a gene that resists the virus, suggesting that the virus catalyzed a process of natural selection. Score one for the environment.

What I learned at my art opening

Exhibit at Creative Coworking

Artist Betty Butler's art opening — Betty Butler opening September 2016, Creative Coworking gallery space

One nice thing about having an art opening is what I learned from you, the viewer. Some people asked about my Photoshop techniques. Others observing the beach motif asked if I came from Florida. Some folks commented that the pleasing color, movement and the perfect placement of the shells evoked a pleasurable walk along the beach; the way one would hope such a walk, indeed life, could be. While I had never thought about my digital collages in exactly this way, your questions and comments gave me a better understanding of how people are seeing and interpreting them. Thanks to you and my friends at Creative Coworking.

Award in photography from Light Space & Time Gallery

I am pleased to announce an award in photography from the SeaScapes Art Exhibit sponsored by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery, based in Jupiter Florida. The gallery invited artists to submit work that captured imagery relating to the sea in any way. The exhibit was juried by the accomplished photographer, John R. Math; hence I consider the award quite an honor. The exhibit runs through November 2016.

Artist Interview

A Dialogue with Creative Coworking

Art print of a digital collage of painting and photography — © Betty Butler, Starfish Portrait, Art Print, 12” x 12”

As we approach the opening of September 2016 Wine & Art Night at Creative Coworking, I would like to present a condensed version of the artist interview they did with me. I thought the questions were quite thoughtful, so here goes:

What sparked your initial interest in creating art?

I have been drawing and making things since I was young child. Luckily, I had parents that encouraged my creativity.

How would you describe your style?

For each art print, I blend my own painting and photography into a digital collage. In my current series, an imaginary beach is populated by starfish, sand dollars, sea urchins and seashells. In this invented world, vivid color drawn from my acrylic painting and resembling the northern lights, flows across these sea creatures.

Who are your influences?

Early in my college art education, I attended a large exhibit of the paper cut-out collages of French artist, Henri Matisse. I was struck by the bright color, movement and fanciful composition of his dancers, leaves and sea creatures. I also very much appreciate the close-up, stylized interpretations of nature by painter Georgia O’Keeffe.

What are your opinions on the Evanston/Chicago art community? How do you see your work in relation to this community?

The Evanston/Chicago art community is vibrant and varied. Additionally, I experience the Evanston art community in particular as friendly and welcoming of local talent. I am honored to be part of this community and exhibiting at Creative Coworking.

Do you have any upcoming exhibitions/plans/projects?

I would love to exhibit in a traditional or alternative health care center. Viewers have observed that my work has a calming and meditative quality.

Are there particular motifs/themes/symbols that you are fond of using in your work?

I am drawn to curvilinear forms found in nature. These can be seashells/waves, botanical forms or clouds. I often add a patterning motif to create movement and visual excitement.

View the entire interview here.

Let’s collaborate

art print,beach art,colorful art,starfish,nature,photomontage — © Betty Butler, Blue Beach, Art Print, 12” x 12”

Creative minds working together remind me of the many starfish dancing on the beach among the brilliant colors in my new art print. Like the act of collaboration itself, this digital collage consists of several layers: photography, digital manipulation of acrylic painting and other effects. This past weekend I stopped by the July Art & Wine event at Creative Coworking, Evanston, IL. It is a friendly, supportive, shared office space, where there is always a rotating display of vibrant work by local artists. I am honored to be showing my art there in September.

Save the date: my art prints will be on display at Creative Coworking, Friday September 16, 2016!

Patterns in nature

I am always searching for the unifying patterns in nature, whether it is the spiraling design of a seashell, the petals of a flower or magnificent formations of clouds. As an artist, I take joy in these visual treasures. In my art prints, I interpret the rhythms, colors and patterns in nature. I incorporate and organize these elements in pleasing, yet surprising ways.

Patterns in art

In my art print below, one can observe a galaxy of pattern on three starfish. They are nestled on an imagined beach among naturally purple seashells. In this invented world, bright colors, drawn from my acrylic painting, and resembling the northern lights, blend with these sea creatures.

© Betty Butler, Ocean Lights, art print,patterns in nature — © Betty Butler, Ocean Lights, art print of blended of painting and photography