Romancing Color by Bette Ridgeway

By (author): Bette Ridgeway

Title: Romancing Color

Subtitle: Investigating a Language of Color

Blurb/Shorttext:

As I approach my 85th birthday in January 2025, I am interested in documenting my lifelong journey toward finding my unique voice.

When I saw the work of Paul Jenkins (Abstract Expressionist) in a huge gallery in New York City in 1979, I had a revelation. I needed to paint what was inside of me. Simple as that.

How does one do that with integrity?

For the first 20 years I painted figuratively. I taught painting and drawing. However, deep inside I knew that I was longing for more. Something was missing. Then I realized that painting landscape, portrait, still life and such, was me interpreting something outside of me.

So, for 45+ years I’ve been creating abstract paintings that are coming from somewhere deep inside. Mostly inspired by nature, they range from feelings of joy and gratitude to reflection, confusion, and contemplation. Probing the depths of my psyche, I search for a means to express, authentically, on canvas the nature of my being on that day, that hour, that minute. I accept nothing less.

This happens unconsciously for most artists – they paint who they are. For me, the challenge is to work consciously. This is not an easy task. This book will cover my early work, the inspiration, the herculean task of finding the right combination of materials, and the evolution of the work that is currently more complex and satisfying than ever.

The study of color and its multitude of frequencies defines who I am. 

ISBN: 978-87-7620-404-4

Book language: English

Publishing house: Snap Collective

Website: www.snap-collective.com

Editorial Assistant: Anna Romanovici

Designer: Yana Geruk

Published on: 06/10/2024

Category: Art

Price (€): 129

Keywords: layering light, abstract, colorful, bright, luminous, large, metallic