I have depicted the human form over time from my earliest 1995-2000 figurative paintings to the present. The artisitc styles that have influenced my work include Expressionism, Abstraction, Impressionism, Classicism, and each has molded my artistic voice to what it is today.
I’ve used my art to examine how my own experiences, artistic temperament, and love of the human figure, sees the naked body as the most beautiful state and amazing version of the human form. I’m interested in all the ways women and men express their sensuality and sexuality. It’s important to me to show how women, during my lifetime, were inaccurately viewed as not having the same sensual and sexual appetite, or interest as men, or the right to express sensuality, celebrate and find joy in it.
Serenade (2023) 34″x34″, oil on linen, by Betsy Podlach – Available for Sale
Lived Experience
Ultimately, there’s subtle emotion in my artwork as it comes from a place of lived experience. I tend to express myself and give my work meaning through the use of facial expressions, body language, relative placement of bodies and objects, and other techniques to capture emotion. Most of the females in my art are emotive portraitures of myself – a technique I use to create a sense of mood and atmosphere.
Walking Through (2023) 48″x48″, oil on linen, by Betsy Podlach – Available for Sale
Power of Art Symbolism
I believe in the power of symbolism through figurative art to convey messages and ideas. Symbolism allows me as the artist to explore themes such as love, loss, hope, and freedom. I’ll often use animals and objects within a painting to inflect an idea that extends beyond the painted images. For example, in “Serenade 2023” you will see a hand with a watch, and an owl, which may signify time as the conscious physical realm and the subconscious “knowing” every moment is fleeting. However, the interpretation is open-ended because it’s up to the viewer to bring their own meaning.
Roses (2023) 16″x16″, oil on linen, by Betsy Podlach – Available for Sale