ArtistsNetwork.com 75Of her visits there, Burtt says, “The
light is behind me. All day long, the
light is coming from somewhat to the
south, since we’re in the Northern
Hemisphere, so I see the light going
into the water and shining off the
sand in a completely different way.”
It’s an ideal situation for the artist,
who takes full advantage of the seem-
ingly endless ways she can observe
and paint light meeting water. In
Morning Light, Breaking Haze,
Butterfly Beach (opposite), the sun
rising behind Burtt brightens the
water and cliffs without dispersing
the atmospheric haze that mutes the
distant hills. Light from above is soft
in Spring Sky (right), while a vibrant
blue in the foreground creates the
illusion of deep reflection where
a wave meets dark, wet sand.
TRUSTING TRIAL
AND ERROR
Although she paints on average-sized
surfaces, Burtt’s compositions feel
broad and expansive. She usually
paints on a horizontal surface, but
she’ll also turn to a square or near-
square format. “I love a square,” she
Fog, Sun and Tides
quintych; acrylic on linen panel, 40x152Spring Sky
acrylic on paper, 30x30