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Painting No. 805 signed and dated 1994 (lower left) oil on paper 51" x 76 1/4" (130 cm x 194 cm) PROVENANCE Galleria Duemila The works of Betsy Westendorp are an amalgamation of her multicultural background. A Dutch descendant, she was born in Spain just years before a civil war broke out. However, periods of her time were spent in the Philippines, where she lived with her husband. As a result, her works, particularly her floral pieces, seem to melt and meld multiple inspirations that yield a magnificent, almost otherworldly effect. Her 1994 Painting No. 805, like many of her works, is painted in situ, that is to say, she differs from many of her peers in that she paints the flowers as they are situated in the ground. Instead of the beautiful flower arrangement put in a vase, Betsy’s Painting No. 805 portrays the flowers as she sees them in nature, with this piece leaning close enough to touch the lilypads floating in a river. “I draw as I paint,” Betsy declares. Indeed, as she starts with no preparatory studies, she trusts her paintings to find their own way with no endpoint in mind. Her flowers seem to be an echo of her – she, like her subject matters, is seemingly fragile. Yet, she blossoms. Her flowers occupy the canvas the same way Betsy’s personality, charm, and wit fill a room, a mirror reflecting her strength cloaked within a soft appearance. (Hannah Valiente)