Tricia Bethel Art

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My art can be considered as a continuous evolving journey. I have been painting for 28 years and my art shows a constant evolution from realism to impressionism, expressionism, abstraction and now maybe a mix of everything. Being self-taught has forced me to look at the works of other artists and learn from them. I never copy I just use a small part of what I like from various works and try to recreate that in my own way to fit my own art style at the moment. I also purchase art history books and other art books to aid my journey. The internet has been a great help to propel self-taught artists. I constantly strive for my own identity to show in the art each day.

Coming from an island where everyone encourages you to paint the town, cultural events and scenery, etc., it is harder but not impossible to find my artistic voice. Most people have not been exposed to art education and therefore what looks pretty tends to sell before any other. I find this is slowly changing however. I must say I enjoy the process rather than the destination. That process involves thinking deeper and looking beyond the aesthetics.

My art is usually based around the theme of race, culture, identity and personal experiences. I tend to paint black female portraits and link them to a Caribbean environment with vibrant colors and a touch of culture or history. I seek to empower women through art and remind them that we are powerful and beautiful beyond measure.

Having resided in both Grenada and China enabled me an avenue to reconsider my art style and what message I wish to give my audience. I moved from a place that depended on tourist art and aesthetics to a concrete jungle where I was forced to look intuitively for the beauty in various cultures and what makes us different. I began to explore race, culture and even my own emotions more. I wanted to show that more in my work. My art journey has not been consistent but I have always placed priority in it. Today I am painting full-time.

My subjects are mainly portraiture randomly chosen from photographs that speak to me of a particular emotion or story. I paint pride, strength, beauty and uniqueness especially in women. I can be considered a portrait artist but it goes way beyond that and into the political and historical at times. There are no limitations to my creation.

I also enjoy painting landscapes and seascapes of Grenada using the style of impressionism because it allows me to express a level of freedom in my paintings. Painting 'home' always keeps me grounded.

For the moment my home is my studio.  Painting is my passion.

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