Today we’d like to introduce you to Beth Stephens.
Beth, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m a self-taught visual artist. Before pursuing art, I taught elementary school for five years. My experiences as a teacher give me a lot of inspiration for my art. I like to represent the potential that we all have to follow our dreams, no matter where we’re starting. There’s a child-like whimsy in my pieces.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In high school, I wanted to earn a degree in musical theater. I always loved the arts and was in numerous musicals growing up. My favorite subjects were theater and show choir. I did take one visual art class in high school and loved it.
In pursuit of a stable career, I decided to study elementary education and became a teacher. Teaching helped me become an organized and thoughtful adult. Our school system formally caps learning at 18, but I realized that I wanted to be a life-long learner and pursue my interests while teaching. Children are so passionate about what they want to be when they grow up. I’ve had future cupcake shop owners, software developers, and authors in my class. They enjoy sharing the activities that they love. Being around children made me remember myself as a child. This made me realize that I wasn’t following my passion- the arts. I struggled with wanting to make a career switch.
The biggest struggle in my life up to this point has been losing my mom when I was 24 years old. She was a dancer and owned her own dance studio. She taught me to love and appreciate the arts. Losing her put my life in perspective. I realized that life is short. We must strive to be our best selves and find what we were put on this earth to do.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
I’m an artist who specializes in acrylic and oil paints. I prefer to make realistic works with a fun twist. I’m inspired by the bright colors of pop artists and the unique stories of surrealists and draw from Ashley Longshore and Rene Magritte. I’m proud of myself for pursuing and working towards living my dream.
Contact Info:
- Email: artistbethstephens@gmail.com
- Instagram: bethcoxstephens
- Facebook: bethcoxstephens
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