From the Dance Floor to the Art Studio: Meet Visual Artist Bethany Elaine

The Underworld vs The Higher World

By Al Gord

Bethany Elaine grew up in Dallas, Texas. She has always had a love of the arts. From a young age she enjoyed drawing; her work in her early years focused on realism, especially portraits. While Bethany had an affinity for drawing she also loved to dance and sing. Her varied interests in all of the arts would come to play a key role in her life, in one form or another. She originally attended college for painting, but later transferred to another school to have a more rounded arts education. Her schooling not only allowed Bethany to focus on pursuing her interests; it also gave her various insights into the world of art as she moved throughout the United States in an effort to follow and achieve her goals.

Bethany has been drawing for as long as she can remember. She filled her first sketchbook up by the time she was five. Growing up she would spend hours drawing faces and people, getting lost in her imagination with art. She started painting in high school, and she was introduced to the world of oil paints during a pre-college program at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Following the pre-college program, Bethany attending school at Pratt Institute with the intent to get a painting major. Although she switched programmes during college, a love for painting has always stayed with her.

After college Bethany became involved in ballroom dancing. As a child she trained in ballet, tap, and jazz. Ballroom dancing was the form she was drawn to as an adult. She was fortunate that she was able to transfer her love of dancing into a career as a ballroom dance competitor and instructor for many years. When her career ended a year ago, Bethany decided to focus once again on art. Where at one time Bethany focused on black and white realism in her art, she has changed styles significantly. While she still depicts people, her style is somewhat more abstract with elements of pop art infused into her works.

Through her work Bethany explores the emotional, psychological, philosophical and spiritual motifs behind the human condition. The intent of Bethany’s works is to get the viewer to provide introspection and reflection with regards to both her art and the viewers’ own experiences. All of her pieces can best be described as colourful, bold, and stimulating. Through these vibrant works that look into and reflect human kind, Bethany hopes to inspire and connect humanity through her art.

Bethany’s art can be seen on her website and both of her social media pages: Instagram and Facebook.