Bette has been beading for 25 years and is knows as an amazing colorist. Her collars are in the personal collections people throughout the United States, Canada and England. She travels extensively to teach and has been published in Bead and Button Magazine. As a gallery artist, she was featured in two of Linda Fry Kenzle’s books “The Irresistible Bead” and “Dazzle: Creating Artistic Jewelry and Distinctive Accessories.” She also is a contributing artist in Valerie Hector’s book “The Art of Beadwork.”

Bette’s Artistic Philosophy

The essence of my artistic philosophy is that “Art Saves Lives”.  I believe that if we surround ourselves with beauty in all facets of our lives, the quality of our lives will increase and the world will become a better place.

I am fascinated by the challenge of taking something flat and making it fit something curved. The neck area fulfills this requirement nicely as well as presenting the perfect arena for my collars. My broad collar format is loosely based on the Egyptian style with additional influences from the Americas and the Victorians. Working within one confined format continually challenges my creativity by allowing me unlimited possibilities for color, texture and structural variations as well as the inclusion of non-traditional techniques. The ladders, the basic structural collar component that I use, however, are constructed using the same technique as they were 5000 years ago by the Egyptians.

Color is always the driving force behind my artwork. I view myself as a translator of the world I see into color schemes. I continually try to capture the “essence” of a place I’ve been, something I’ve seen or felt, and express that essence through color. My works include portraits, both abstract and literal, expressions of emotion and feeling, and impressions exhibited by the use of color, texture and pattern.