Betsy Bradley

- foundation; mark making, translating movement
- large scale to small scale
- inspired by natural forms e.g. rock formations
- painting on found items like wood
- inspired by cartoons and strange creatures
- spent some time in Japan in second year, becoming more physical in the mark making, paper making
- meditation
- sculpture from found objects (cans)
- sculptures made of plasticine and pipe cleaners, dreamlike creatures
- development w using colour, intuition
- ‘exploring the relationship between control and intuition’
- MASTERS;
- live painting installation in Coventry
- started painting on dust sheets
- residency in Scotland
- making work on loose canvas
- felt like she was at the beginning of things when she finished her masters
- sculptural deconstructed form that still highlighted gesture
- interactive works like swings and benches (but prefers the suggestion of movement instead of people interacting)
- using cheaper materials, exploring how they can be viewed as more expensive
- acrylic and spray paint
- voile fabric, translucent, painting breathes and invites light
- moved from a studio to home, painted in the garden, absorbed in the things that she is inspired by

My Thoughts:
I went to see Betsy Bradley's Chasing Rainbows exhibitions and loved it, so I was very excited to hear her talk through her practice. Learning about her time in Japan, and her processes that led her to where she is now made the exhibition seem more impressive due to knowing the backstory. I found it inspiring how she works so intuitively, and doesn't take her work too 'seriously' (for lack of a better word). I think its an important aspect to some artists' work that they aren't too rigid with their process, and have fun while making, and I think Bradley is an example of that, particularly seen when she is talking about her time in Japan.