Betsy Lombard's "Round Mountain Suite"

Artist: Betsy Lombard's "Round Mountain Suite"

Oil on  Linen Canvas

Opening Reception and Art Walk: Friday, September 2nd

Meet the Artist from 6:00-8:00 PM

Nevada City Winery will be open from 2:00-9:00 PM

Showing Thursday, Septmeber 1st - Sunday, October 2nd

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About the Show

In these personal, nature immersed paintings by Betsy Lombard, we experience reflective moments of awe and quietude. 

Each Work is filled with dynamic perspectives. There are wide vast progressive views, that carry you from shrubs, water/ice, or golden reeds, emerging from layered terrains to sky touched ridges; or a closeup abstraction of trees, their bark with flicks of wondrous iridescent colors. You can even feel the cold bluish snow encasing the trees. 

Lombard’s brush strokes are fully alive, as if traveling with a powerful momentum from her eyes and heart, down her arm into her wrist and hand – culminating in paintings that speak the poetry of reverence.

Artist Statement

Artist Betsy Lombard  talks about her Show “Round Mountain Suite”  at the Nevada City Winery Gallery.

During the period of introspection commencing in March 2020 peoples' eyes opened to a deeper love of their immediate environment.  I looked out my studio windows at the madrones, especially, and thought, "why haven't I painted these more?" So I began to. When it snowed, I painted...live, quickly, before the snow melted. Taking a walk on Sugarloaf, I saw the oaks and distant view across Yuba River canyon and photographed it to paint later. Earlier works were finished using the view out my windows. The most intimate level of things drew my appreciation: leaves, feathers, bark (madrone paper!), spider web mandalas, a tree frog's eye mask. My security in the gorgeous environment was precious, along with a bed to sleep in, delicious food to eat, a partner devoted to me, and a dog who worshipped the ground upon which I tread.

What initially felt like a contraction turned out to be, for me, a tremendous expansion.

As I paint, I want to create something whose power and grace is familiar, exhilarating and comforting too. Not as a repeat but as an image or feeling that already existed in deep consciousness: a sort of time travel. 

It already existed because it does now, and has a place here.

About the Artist

Betsy Lombard 

Betsy Lombard fled Southern California after graduating midterm from Upland High School in 1974. First to Kings Beach, Tahoe, then Wellfleet, Massachusetts where she worked as a lobster cook, housepainter, and cranberry sorter, and painted and had her first show at the Provincetown Women’s' Center.

Her mother, June, had supported her art talents by taking her daughter to museums in the LA area and the Laguna Art Festival. 

Lombard also lived in Caspar, California near Mendocino, painting watercolors of weedy florals from Caspar Creek, and the surrounding area including the fog. 

Living in the Fifth Avenue Marina warehouses for two decades she continued her career doing pastels and watercolors of the industrial surroundings, and showed in Bay Area venues along with Open Studios. 

Now in Nevada City since early 2001 on five acres with off-grid power and a 950 square foot studio floating amongst the trees on the second floor, she continues her work, part plein air and also larger studio works. 

Part of Alexander Gallery for 2 years as well as Camelot Gallery, local shows at ASif and Spirit Gallery in Truckee, she has shown also at 20th St. Art, in Sacramento.

Lombard has painted in plein air festivals in the Lost Coast, Mendocino, San Clemente, Alameda, San Luis Obispo and Estes Park, Colorado.

She counts among her influences the Society of Six, Henri Rousseau and Franz Marc.   Her work is widely collected. 

Learn more on our Art Gallery Page