The idea for each painting generally comes in visions. They are accompanied by strong feelings too. These can come out of the blue and are so detailed and clear that they don't fade like a usual, imaginative thought. Sometimes they occur as a powerful dream, at night, but they can also just appear unexpectedly such as whilst taking a shower, or driving somewhere.
Beth uses a variety of media but prefers water-based acrylic paints and particularly vibrant acrylic inks. gels are sometimes used to add texture and gold leaf is used in almost all of her work, particularly in her signature where her initials form a heart shape. Gold has the unique ability to add both dark tones and brilliant sparkle and reflection at the same time, depending on the shadow or light that is falling upon the painting's surface. A painting comes to life when gold leaf is added and changes throughout the day, or when viewed from different perspectives.
She paints on cotton canvas or heavy duty watercolour paper, depending on the effect she is aiming to achieve. However, she is also open to experiment on other surfaces, such as old oak boards.
Beth has been selling originals since she was a teenager. In the past she was open to take commissions, but since having Covid, she finds her creativity hampered by producing work to order. She has so many concepts within her - to benefit others - that her focus is to produce what naturally comes to her, allowing people to pick and choose what they are drawn to.
In recent times she has taken the decision not to release so many of her originals and wishes to keep these for her loved ones. On rare occasions she may decide to let one go.
This is an important process in which the original artwork is scanned onto a large flatbed scanner. If the painting is too large it has to be professionally photographed under studio conditions. Once a large file has been created, the image can then be tweaked to remove elements that have not come out well in the image-taking.
From this file, giclee prints on acid free canvas or paper can then be produced. This is done on a special type of printing machine which gives a lasting image of at least 200 years. This is the gallery standard, not to be confused with home inkjet printers or mass-produced poster printing.
Canvas prints are produced using the giclee process so the inks will not fade. These are hand-finished and signed with gold leaf and often other media, making each one unique.
Most of her works are available in limited quantities, (on canvas or paper), in runs which do not exceed 75 prints. This adds significant value to the collectable pieces. Each piece of art is hand signed and numbered.
Open editions are printed using the usual printing techniques for large volume prints, which helps produce versions of the art at a cheaper rate. These are more affordable reproductions for those with a limited budget. They are not usually hand signed and they will not be limited to a particular number of prints.
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Bliss was a true soul mate and I still feel the pain of her sudden demise in January 2022, as if it was yesterday. She loved to accompany me in my studio and was a constant reminder of how interrelated humans are with all species. We had a very close connection and understanding of each other.
Richard plays a vital role in getting my artwork in front of people. He is both my life partner and business partner. He is not at all artistic, but appreciates my work and knows a lot about business. He does all the jobs I don't like doing - it's a match made in heaven.
Beatrix (Bea for short), is the newest member of the team. Her pure playful energy keeps me on my toes...bit of a mare when I'm applying very fragile gold leaf though! She also likes drinking from my water pot.