Born and raised in South Texas, Betty’s family history is deeply embedded in farming and ranching. Her paternal grandfather and family moved from Ohio, bringing their racing stock trotters and working percheron. “My grandfather was 17 years old when the family moved and gave him the job of caring for the safety of the horses in the boxcar on the long journey.” She feels she acquired that deep love for horses from her ancestry. On the maternal side she inherited her Cherokee roots and is a proud member of the Cherokee Nation. Betty’s mother noticed her interest in art at an early age and purchased a John Nagy Learn to Draw Set for her one Christmas. She still treasures the book as her earliest memories in drawing. Most of her younger years included an extensive study of classical piano, as she would later attend college on a music scholarship. Art was a vision for many years until she followed her heart and became immersed in the first medium she studied, watercolor. Taking numerous workshops by nationally known artists Ken Hosmer, Don Andrews, Christopher Schink, Judy Betts and many more, she painted in watercolor for 20 years before adding oils to her repertoire. During that time, she served as workshop chairman and president of the Watercolor Society of South Texas. Betty’s paintings embrace a range of subjects from horses, figures, still life and landscape. Her Cherokee heritage has allowed her entry into prestigious Native American Art Shows, such as the Annual Trail of Tears Show at the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where she has had the honor of winning several awards. Artists that have influenced her work include Daniel Gerhartz, Harley Brown, Howard Terpning and the Russian Impressionist Nicholai Fechin. She currently resides with her husband, their Arabians and her cherished dachshund in northern Bee County.
Statement
It is truly a blessing to awaken every morning, looking forward to doing exactly what I enjoy most! I gaze through the window and see my horses quietly grazing in the front pasture waiting for their grain. These are the things that nourish my soul and I am eternally grateful that God has given me this beautiful gift of art. There have been struggles, paintings thrown in the trash, but even that has been somewhat encouraging. I will always remember the words my first watercolor instructor told us, “live by the three D’s; desire, determination and discipline.” One cannot achieve a goal without these three, they are the core of achievement! Here in South Texas, there’s always a painting around the corner and I will keep exploring the next one and the next one!