Bio

So nice to meet you! I’m Bethany: An American Dutchie. An abstract artist. A teacher. A lover of long conversations. A cuddler of cats. A dog mom. An enthusiast about all things food.

I’m passionate about creating and sharing experiences that bring us closer to ourselves and our loved ones. By making time to experience the joy and the purpose of the small, the every day, the local, I’m on a mission to create a sense of togetherness and cultivate connections in a world where we seem so divided and we easily fall out of sync with ourselves.

  • How I became an artist:

    I spent my early childhood in the mid-west in the United States and when I was five years old I moved to the Netherlands with my mother and little brother – and a few years later I got a little sister too. I grew up dancing, performing, creating and, in my spare time, teaching my brother and sister as many choreographies as I possibly could. When I think back to my younger self I cannot help but smile, I adore that little Bethany. 

    When I wasn’t running around in my carefully curated costumes, I was at ballet class, lost in a book, drawing colorful pictures with oil pastels, chasing cats who didn’t want to be pet or playing outside with my friends. 

    In 2011 I got my BA degree in Language and Culture studies and a year later I graduated from the University of Utrecht with a Master’s degree in Cultural History. For sensible reasons I moved on to becoming a high school English teacher and step by step I found myself moving further away from my creative self. While my years in education taught me many valuable lessons, a few years into teaching I was faced with stage four endometriosis, a PTSD diagnosis and a burn-out. This confronted me with the most fundamental question: what do I REALLY want to do? But while this question may be fundamental, it wasn’t easy to answer.  

    I played around and explored different fields, but the second I picked up a brush and dabbled around with some paints again it felt like coming home. The monkey chatter in my mind finally quieted and I found myself letting go, releasing and “coming together”. And that’s what my art is all about: coming back to you – after a long day, after a hectic couple of weeks, or even after years of being (unconsciously) disconnected from yourself. It’s about wholeheartedly owning every bit of you and your story and releasing what’s within while simultaneously opening yourself up. Opening yourself up to what you (may have) buried deep within, but also to those around you, to new experiences, to new connections.  In my work I explore feelings and emotions, self-acceptance and our connection to the world within and around us. 

    My inspiration comes from our emotional landscapes, day to day life, spending time in nature, my framily (my friends who are my chosen family), the time I spent enjoying a hippy dippy Waldorf School education, life with my husband, being disabled and finding acceptance in that while creating a life in which I lean into the things that bring me joy and love.

The Creative Process

My artworks are beacons through which I explore:

feelings, vulnerability, pleasure, grief, shame, joy, self love & delight.

Each painting maps out a journey of discovery. Through shapes and colors I reimagine ways in which we can support ourselves into greater self-connection, emotional intelligence, and joy.

In my work I utilize different tools and mediums to express thoughts and feelings as shapes and colors. Layers and layers of paint, abstract forms and intentional lines create a journey of exploration into the human experience. 
 

As a former dancer I love using the motions of my body to direct my work compositionally. An intuitive approach allows me to create without overthinking. And so, layers upon layers of paint, collage, oil pastels, charcoal, pencil, sand and other beautiful materials are used to create a work of art that inspires you to connect to yourself and that what brings you joy.

View the art collection here

I’d love to meet you, so come say hi!

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