In 2020, with the world shutting down due to the pandemic, my days opened up. For the first time since childhood, I had hours to observe wildflowers, dawn light, shadows of plants on the sidewalk. I began to paint the bounty that was outside my door. Lines, shapes, and colors of seed pods, leaves, and evening sky crept into my work. Themes of exploring, unfolding, and connecting with the natural world inspire my painting.
I am a mixed media artist. The tension created by considering differences excites me. Smooth surfaces next to rough textures, dark values next to light, warm hues butting up to cool tones are areas I like to investigate. My inquiry regarding the ways opposites exist at the same time in life and on the canvas is one I invite the viewer to explore with me.
Biography
As a child Beth spent her days drawing with pencils, painting with her fingers, designing the sandbox into a small city. As art continued to draw Beth in, she attended college in Minneapolis, and earned a BFA in Studio Arts, and a BS in psychology. She then moved to San Francisco for a decade of work as a graphic designer for a variety of publications, corporate projects, and album covers.
Upon moving back to Wisconsin with her young family, Beth returned to school for a Master’s degree and worked for many years as a psychotherapist. And then one day during the pandemic shutdown, Beth rediscovered painting. This stopped Beth in her tracks. She took an early retirement to paint full time.