On one wall of Bettie Eubanks’ studio — her “history wall” — a visitor can trace her journey as an artist: from a mosaic she made in college in 1963 through her years painting as a side interest, first, as a young mother and later while working as a teacher and then as a marketing professional all the way up to her retirement 35 years ago, at which point she was finally able to devote herself to her art full time.
The works displayed there reveal an artist gradually discovering herself and growing into the painter she is today.
“I like having a history wall because sometimes people would say, ‘Well, how did you arrive where you are?’” she said.
For Eubanks, that journey began in childhood.
A “latchkey kid” who grew up in Newark, New Jersey, she was frequently home alone and would create friends by drawing on the wall.
“My mother was not happy with that,” she said.
At age 10, on the recommendation of a teacher, she was accepted into a program for gifted young artists. She later attended an art-and-music high school and was awarded a full art scholarship to Parsons College. She went on to earn a bachelor of arts degree from then-Jersey City State College. She is also a graduate of Newark School of Fine Arts.
The mosaic was her senior project. She was instructed to create something using a medium she was not used to. And it posed a practical challenge: the tiles would not be cheap.
“We were just married and had no money,” she recalled. “I had this idea, and then we went out to try and find tiles. We could not afford them. So, I found places that had broken tiles that would give them to me.”
She did buy a tile cutter. Then, husband Richard would cut the tiles while she glued them down.
Later, as a young mother living in Woodstock, New York, she wanted to paint but found canvases to be expensive. But a creative mind is not deterred. Some pieces on her history wall reveal the solution: barn siding.
“We would find it and just cut it up into pieces and I would paint on it,” she said. “It was enjoyable, and I could do that without breaking the bank.”
Eubanks draws inspiration from nature and her surroundings, as well as the various topics of the day. One painting features a group of Norfolk Island parakeets, whose population was decimated in the early 20th century, in part due to the demand for their colorful feathers. The story of their march toward extinction inspired Eubanks.
“When I hear something like that, I say, ‘Well I want to bring them back. I want to show them,’” she said.
Her paintings tend to belong to different series. For instance, she has one devoted to all things “In and By the Sea.” Her website, bettieeubanks.com, offers a look at this and other series: still lifes, abstracts, “Hear the Music.”
She has exhibited her paintings in Martha’s Vineyard, Atlanta and Florida and her work hangs in many private and corporate collections. Her work evokes a sense of peace and joy and is prized by hospitals seeking art that would be calming to the patients.
A resident of Nocatee since December, Eubanks is making her work known in the area. It is exhibited at Village Arts Framing and Gallery, where she will be the featured artist for June.
Talking with Eubanks, one is easily drawn to her positive outlook. She is clearly living the life she loves.
“I am just thankful, very thankful for where we are and how we are,” she said. “I wake up each day and say, ‘Thank You. Thank You, Lord.’ I mean that sincerely.”
Village Arts Framing and Gallery is located at 155 Tourside Drive, No. 1520, in Sawgrass Village. For more information, go to villageartspvb.com.
