Artists' Statement For
TINSTY & Renée Berthelette
Together, Renée and TINSTY are a painting duo that inspire and challenge each other with each brush stroke, utilizing the medium not merely for self-expression, but also for dialogue. Their creativity is drawn from a deep appreciation for the beauty and power of nature, from the awe-inspiring grandeur and depths of the ocean to the vast immensity of the cosmos. Featuring gentle washes, violent stabs of intense color, and thousands of meticulous layers of texture, their work is an attempt to create bridges between science and art, meditation and proclamation, serenity and chaos. It is a celebration of the natural world and the universe, and an acknowledgment of timelines far greater than that of human existence.
The choice to form a creative partnership was natural, as both artists come from extensive theatre backgrounds, where collaboration is of the essence. The act of setting brush to canvas transforms into a conversation, at times even an argument, as they combine wet and dry brush techniques to explore varied shades of composition, light, and meaning. With the addition of carefully cultivated music, the conversation evolves into a dance. They maneuver around the horizontal canvas to parry, highlight, or respond to the other’s latest expression: rhythmic, gentle, fierce, or staccato as the music guides them.
Meet The Artists
TINSTY
Artist's Statement
TINSTY is passionate about nature, and the deep, reflective thought that it allows. Her multimedia creations include paintings and fabric embellished canvas’ that feature recycled and found materials. Aiming for the intersection of beauty and perception, the work is meant to encourage the awareness of environmental impermanence, and how this fleeting beauty is due, in part, to climate change.
As an avid scuba diver, the artist has the unique opportunity to examine the ecosystem of the oceans up close, to observe first-hand the destruction to vital coral reefs caused by industrial waste, and microplastics, in particular. The use of recycled sequins and beads alludes to the ocean as a precious and delicate luxury, while also reminding the viewer of the disproportionate damage these minuscule man-made trifles and seemingly insignificant, harmless tiny objects can cause to our largest, and perhaps most delicate, ecosystem.
Renée Berthelette
Artist's Statement
As both an artist and professional tailor, Renée’s work is grounded in meticulous attention to details and craftsmanship. She evaluates her work by breaking it down into its essential components: color, proportion, and balance. The intention behind such scrutiny is to find the elegance expressed through precision and simplicity. The work itself is a form of meditation: a voyage through mindfulness in its greatest capacity.
Renée’s creative process begins with strong foundational research, gathering inspiration from astronomy, mathematics, nature, and neuroscience. She delights in the discovery of alternate representations of beauty that can be found through interdisciplinary exploration. Her research can often encourage unconventional painting techniques, such as the constant rotation of a canvas, a color palette taken from the cosmos, or alternate methods of paint application. Renée views challenges as opportunities for growth, and offers the resulting work openly to the world, eager to share the lessons learned. Each piece contains seeds of inspiration, planted with hopes that they will awaken a similar thirst for knowledge and creative expression.