Coizie Bettinger, Wandering Water, 2026, Pastel, 12 x 12 x 1 in

Mary Oliver's quote, "We need beauty because it makes us ache to be worthy of it," echoes Coizie Bettinger's understanding of art and its purpose. Each day, she is filled with delight, joy, peace, or astonishment while observing the ever-changing fields, sloughs, marshes, woods, water, and the shifting edges where land meets water. The ordinary yet unexpected beauty of these landscapes often stops her in her tracks.

Bettinger paints what she sees, guided by the feelings that inspire her, filtered through the kaleidoscope of her imagination. Her work translates direct observation into expressive form, emphasizing color, light, and atmosphere as vehicles for emotional response.

She works primarily with soft pastels-pure pigment in stick form, available in a wide range of textures, from buttery and smooth to gritty, crumbly, harder, or softer. She values the tactile nature of the medium, relishing the dusty surface and the pigment that stains her hands as part of the creative process. Discovering pastels has allowed her to more fully express and share her sense of joy and wonder at the fragile and precious beauty of the Skagit Valley.