A Little Bit About Me…..but not too much!

I’m originally from Inverness, the capital of the highlands of Scotland.  I paint land and sea scapes in the main & try to capture the energy & drama of the elements.  I do this by layering lots of different colours on top of each other, scratching into the paint, mark making & playing about with perspectives.

I didn’t paint or do anything creative when I was very young.  My mother told me I was ‘rubbish’ at art so that was that.  I mucked about a lot at school until I had enough of that & just left.

I started my working life in social care in Glasgow and loved it.  I joined an access to Uni course & eventually embarked on a degree in Sociology.  It was then that I felt I had to explore my creative side.  I borrowed a book from the campus library: How To Draw for Complete Beginners. After a lot of trial & error, I had a body of work that looked fine to my eye. Some of my work was accepted for exhibitions across the U.K. & then Europe.  I was over the moon.  I started to receive positive feedback & made a few sales.  That creative period gave me so much motivation to keep going.

However, I needed a regular paying job.  I landed various roles in Adult Education over a 20-year period.  I put painting aside during this time until I was lucky enough to take up early retirement.  This was my opportunity to pick up the paint brushes again and develop my painting style and approach.  And now I paint most days………and I absolutely love it.  I’m back creating, exhibiting and selling my artwork and I am blessed.

I Need Dogs In My Life.

My other passion in life now is volunteering with The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.We moved to Kirriemuir in Angus to be near the Training Centre in Forfar. We are so lucky to work with young dogs who are starting their training.We offer dinner, bed & breakfast during the week and lots of play, cuddles, walks and fun at the weekend. Having a wee furry friend is a great opportunity to take regular breaks from the easel and get out and about.It does wonders for my creativity.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this little summary about me and what makes me tick.  I’m delighted to be able to showcase some of my artwork on The British Craft House.  It’s such a supportive community of talented artists and makers.  I feel I am in good hands!

All the best and be lucky!

Susan Betty (Susan Betty Art).