Sometimes It's In the Small Things

I ran into Betsy at the Bazaar Love Triangle.  She was wearing turquoise chandelier earrings and sat minding a table filled with organic soap, wine made from local fruit and a host of other unusual products.  That afternoon, as we stood watching Rock Balancing Philippines create a sculpture from rocks, balancing each one carefully and creating interesting cairn-like towers, we shared our views on handmade items and how they rarely do well in venues where people go to look for the mass-produced, inexpensive stuff stamped with the Made in China or Made in Taiwan seal of knock-off authenticity. Later, I walked by her booth and saw a deck of tarot cards laying there – she said they did readings too.  That , and the conversation we had earlier about the value of handmade, made me suspect she was a kindred soul.  And of course the turquoise chandelier earrings were a dead giveaway.

A few days later my suspicions were confirmed when I saw a comment she left on my Facebook page-  her profile picture was that of Frida Kahlo. 

And as we are wont to do when a new friend is met on the much maligned yet much used social network (come on, you know you visit your page almost everyday), we dig deeper.  I was glad I did.  Visiting her page told me there was much more to this slim, diminutive woman.

That she painted came as no surprise to me – the passionate words on art and handmade and the plight of struggling artists trying to be seen in a world of mass-produced gave me an inkling.  But seeing her work was a surprise.  She doesn’t paint on canvas. She paints on eggs.  Yes, eggs – you know, the kind you fry in the morning with bacon so you can get your daily cholesterol fix and feel burpy and queasy all day? Those kind of eggs.

Coming from a family of artists (her grandfather was a high realism painter, her aunt a portrait artist and art educator) she developed a love for painting early in childhood and had become quite adept at watercolor (a medium that terrifies me!).  So did she take fine arts in college? Of course not – people like her never take the usual, expected route.  Instead, she became a veterinary medicine major who happened to get sidetracked into theater, Teatro Umalohokan,  and who also happened to be part of Pintados Umalohokan, an art collective that painted murals on sidewalks and canvass. 

I was curious as to why she paints on eggs.  Betsy explained that she once stumbled into a shop that sold washi papers used to make what is known as washi eggs.  Pretty simple really – you take the Japanese washi papers and then use a decoupage technique to cover the eggs with them and you seal the piece with lacquer.  Of course a girl who wears chandelier turquoise earrings and reads tarot cards would not settle for such a simple craft right?  She took it to the next level and decided to paint on them.  And I must say, she does a marvelous job.

She has painted on all kinds of eggs, from the regular grocery store chicken egg, to the more challenging quail eggs (I cannot imagine the skill that goes into painting one of these little eggs! I'd most likely eat them than have the patience to paint them), and even ostrich eggs.  Betsy says it takes her about two days to finish a piece, given that there are no mountaineering trips scheduled :-).

Her mother and child themes must reflect the contentment she feels being full-time mom to her child.

She also loves to paint images of tribal Filipinos. Look at the penetrating gaze of the woman in the center - no matter how small, Betsy is able to capture nuances in expression.

And of course, the question on which came first, the chicken or the egg, is not something we ask when we see her collection of bird themed pieces.

The detail on this is quite amazing

I was tempted to call these Matryoshka dolls but to me they seemed to be strong, creative ladies joyfully wrapping themselves up in what life has to give

I’ve always wanted an owl.  One that looks like this guy

Betsy creates these pieces for those who appreciate it.  She admits that it is not for everyone but each piece is created from the soul – inspired by the everyday things that we fail to notice because of the rush we always find ourselves in, little vignettes of life from a simpler time.  She treats each one like a gem, carefully bringing forth the story she wants to tell on the small surface she has chosen to tell it.  Sometimes, meaning can really be found in the smallest things.

Betsy accepts custom orders and she also has several pieces ready from which you can choose from. Reasonably priced, considering the skill and talent that goes into making one of these, they would make perfect gifts for that someone who seems to have everything, or maybe a lovely token to remember a moment passed, a season gone.  To see more of Betsy’s work, visit Ysab Egg Art on Facebook.