ANASTESSIA BETTAS
Grid , Grace and Glory
Anastessia Bettas “STUDY FOR VENUS II,” encaustic , on panel , 12 x 12 inches , 2022
Image Details, title page: Anastessia Bettas “SUNSET AND MOUNTAIN VIEW,” encaustic, on panel, 48 x 36 inches, 2022
Consider the last time you opened a map. No, no, not the digital kind used to obtain driving directions; an actual paper map, folded accordion style, with latitudes, longitudes and topography — a Greek term, that the MerriamWebster dictionary describes as, “the art or practice of graphic delineation in detail, usually on maps or charts of natural and man-made features of a place or region especially in a way to show their relative positions and elevations.”
Meet Canadian artist Anastessia Bettas, who has embraced topographical elements and grids in her work with encaustic paint.
Anastessia first developed the grid motif in her paintings ten years ago by observing the architecture around her; referencing skyscrapers and seemingly endless construction. She finds inspiration by examining urban landscapes using Google Maps and satellite imagery and compares urban sprawl with remote landscapes and the loss of open space. She is intrigued by exploration to places where natural and man-made surfaces converge and depict history and decay. Anastessia uses topography and cartography style imagery and grids to evoke images of maps, satellite views and architectural structures. The grids are used as architectural references and lines to address movement both artistically and metaphorically. “My intention is to encourage an emotional narrative and captivate the viewer by evoking references to both nature; the landscape and the built environment with form, space and materials. I create sketches, and then make small paintings to experiment with composition and a color palette based on the series I’m working on, and then create larger paintings,” she says. “The many layers of Anastessia Bettas' encaustic paintings offer a glimpse into the artist’s tactile process and her inspirations,” says Ivan Tanzer, Manager of The Petroff Gallery. Erin Choi, Gallery Associate, adds “The translucent character of encaustic allows light to penetrate through the wood panel and then bounce back, drawing the viewers from the very first glance. Like a treasure map, the scraped and scratched surfaces gradually reveal intricate details that shift and morph the more one continues to look.”
Article text co-written by Anastessia Bettas and Karine Ewart.
Anastessia Bettas “STUDY FOR VENUS II,” (detail) encaustic, on panel, 12 x 12 inches, 2022
Art has played a major role in Anastessia’s life for as long as she can remember having memories of drawing as early as three years old. “I always imagined I would be an artist. I won the visual art award upon graduation from high school but embarked on a corporate career path after graduating from McGill University and the University of Toronto. I worked in the marketing and dotcom industry and needed to regain a creative outlet outside of work. I decided to sign up for an encaustic course in 2001 having been intrigued with encaustic paintings by Jasper Johns and Brice Marden from my art history studies at McGill. I found it difficult to work with but was fascinated by the medium. Fast forward years later and I was enrolled in art school tackling encaustic courses and had my “aha moment” in Nicole Collins’ encaustic classes. Back then I was a portrait painter and painted my first encaustic portrait which ended up being exhibited at the art school and posted on their website.
Anastessia Bettas “WAVES OF CHANGE,” encaustic, on panel, 48 x 40 inches, 2022
A nastessia Bettas “CAUSEWAY,” encaustic, on panel, 48 x 36 inches, 2022
In 2012 while still a student, Anastessia had her first solo exhibition called “The Immortals” at a local gallery. The show was comprised of life-size encaustic portraits of 20 th -century luminaries (Hemingway, Monroe, Diana, Princess of Wales) that died tragically. The show was well received and the following year her portrait of Hemingway was given a “National Finalist” award in a portraiture competition. “Despite creating portraiture, I was guided by teachers to develop an abstract style for my graduation exhibition. Architecture, geography and travelling were always of great interest to me, from my university courses to life experiences, so I drew inspiration from there and developed my style. Viewing the landscape from airplanes was always mesmerizing for me so that’s how the aerial view inspiration came about.”
Throughout her art school classes, Anastessia learned many different techniques like collage, photo transfers, painting, sculpture and so forth using different products and mediums but she prefers encaustic paint for its sculptural and layering properties. She uses professionally made encaustic paint and also mixes her own using encaustic medium and oil paint. Anastessia also incorporates oil sticks, wax crayons and pencils and occasionally graphite into her works. “Since encaustic paint dries instantly, it allows me to add multiple layers, scrapping, repainting, and carving that creates an urban decay element and a great sense of depth to my abstract work.”
Anastessia Bettas “HAKONE,” encaustic, on panel, 30 x 30 inches, 2022
Anastessia Bettas “BLUE MARBLE III,” encaustic, on panel, 40 x 60 inches, 2022
Encaustic paintings make up the majority of her practice although she uses acrylics for paintings over five feet wide due to the weight and transport of very large encaustic panels. Her work is generating comparisons to Mondrian and catching the eye of some high profile collectors. Earlier this year, her large encaustic painting, “Blue Marble III,” was purchased from the Petroff Gallery by the production company owned by actor Adam Sandler for placement in his upcoming movie. The painting is an abstract map of Earth and is part of Anastessia’s “New Frontiers” series. Its title stems from the photograph taken by the Apollo 17 crew in 1972.
Anastessia Bettas “BLUE MARBLE III,” (details) encaustic, on panel, 40 x 60 inches, 2022
Anastessia Bettas “VOYAGES,” encaustic, on panel, 40 x 40 inches, 2022
In her newest work, Anastessia explores coastlines, waterways, and bridges suggesting journeys and migration from urban to rural settings. Her affinity for blue hues takes on even greater prominence, as do the intricate, signature layers of beautiful — some might even say, glorious — encaustic paint.
Anastessia Bettas
“VOYAGES,” (detail) encaustic, on panel 40 x 40 inches, 202 2
Anastessia Bettas is a Canadian visual artist represented by the Petroff Gallery in Toronto, Ontario Canada and Galerie St. Laurent + Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She has exhibited in over fifty juried exhibitions in Canada and the USA and her paintings can be found in private collections in North America and Europe. Her work was featured in the John B. Aird’s national survey of Canadian contemporary art “Painting 2020,” the Elaine Fleck Contemporary Art magazine as an emerging artist to watch; in the prestigious Latcham Gallery’s Annual Juried Exhibition and Bettas’ “District” painting is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Encaustic Art in New Mexico. She is an expert in the use of encaustic paint having over 18 years’ experience; has lectured on the topic and given workshops. She has also curated several exhibitions at the Propeller Gallery (see CV). Artists who have influenced her include Joan Mitchell, Agnes Martin and encaustic masters, Jasper Johns and Brice Marden.
Bettas is a graduate of McGill University with an Art History and Literature degree, the Toronto School of Art with a Fine Arts diploma (three year program) in Painting and Drawing and the University of Toronto Internet Technology program. Her works have received numerous accolades and awards and have been featured in local publications and on television.
She lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband, two children and two rescue dogs. Her son has started his first year university in Robotics Engineering. In her spare time, Bettas enjoys tennis, gardening, genealogy research and traveling. Her favorite vacation is going to the Greek Islands where she loves to immerse herself in her heritage. Before studying visual arts, Bettas worked in the corporate world accomplishing extraordinary success in strategic marketing initiatives, operations and account management. In her last position, she was the Head of Marketing Operations at AOL Canada Inc.
Article co-writer, Karine Ewart is a writer and editor living in Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada
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