Betty Cox – Featured Artist
Betty Cox is an amazing artist whose work I found on Instagram. Her beading work is really something to behold. The creativity and time that goes into each of her meticulous pieces is breathtaking. While I know working with tiny beads can make me a bit nutty, I am a bit envious of those that have the patience and dedicate time and devotion to this type of art. Check her out!
Betty in her own words…
Why do i make Art? Because it allows me to expressive my self. Everything in life often seems so serious, but adding a bit of emotion or whimsy to my work allows me to see the joy or humor in things.
How do I chose a theme? I’m often inspired by a focal piece solely. By adding colors and textures it allows me to expand on that piece. I often don’t know where I’m going with a piece until I start beading and adding other beads and items. My art is really an extension of My self. I really enjoy being edgy and not too traditional. I often like to create and make something that isn’t usually seen in a beaded piece. An example would be prosthetic eyes or teeth.
I have created pieces that represented parts of my life. The piece called A Cellists Dream World represented myself. I studied music and performed and earned a a Bachelors degree of Music Performance as a cellist. I never imagined doing anything else but playing in orchestras, which I did while growing up and through my 30’s. I actually found my niche at a very young age, drawing, which became a turn-off when I hit 7th grade and the teacher wanted everyone to draw exactly the same. I knew then that I was different! Rebellious you might say.
Playing the clarinet and adding the cello became my obsession, literally. Later, nursing became my love and going back to school helped me realize that I’m never gonna get into a major orchestra. It was extremely cut throat even though I pursued it. I substituted with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and was Principal cellist of the Toledo Symphony orchestra also. I toured and even played in the country Jordan. Clearly being ambitious and no one telling me I cant. I traveled and performed in orchestras throughout, until I realized I wanted a REAL job and a nursing assistant summer job at a young age motivated me to pursue my RN and then onto my Masters degree in Nursing Science/Maternal Child/Midwifery. I figured I would do it all as a labor and delivery nurse. I might as well deliver them too. I have worked for Kaiser in San Diego over 20 plus years, out of the 30 plus years of my nursing career. I practice as a Certified Nurse Midwife in clinic and Hospital.
After having kids and seeing them turn into teens and onto college I realized how much I missed expressing my self whether it’s performing as a musician, dancing, which I love, and or teaching aerobics and inspiring others, my nursing friend created lampwork beads and some bead embroidery and I latched onto her and eventually found my niche.
So between my intense full time job; and now cataloged on Apero’and I feel like I can’t waste any time. So once at home, I’m always working on something new. I’m pretty disciplined when I have to finish a piece like a contest piece, because my time is limited. Bead embroidery is relaxing, fun and can be very tedious and methodical. But to me it’s creating. I love the whole process. The act of creating is like performing and the final product is the actual complete performance.
The techniques I use are back stitching, peyote and RAW. I’ve also been asked why I create big pieces. Well, it’s like I have a lot to say and bead embroidery is the means to creating something that will move people or make them think or feel. To me it’s like painting on a canvas.
You can find me at my Etsy store: uniqueandmacabre or on Instagram @ Iltbe1956 (that actually stands for: I like to buy eyeballs 1956) you can also find me on FB. I have taught and exhibited in Europe, the USA , in international beads mags; Beading Polska, Perlon, Poesie and Beadwork. I was a finalist at Bead Dreams 2017, participated in Wearable Art Expression 2017, I was recently selected to be part of 50toWatch 4/2018 and cataloged and 6/2018 in Apero art catalog, theme is Pose’ , « My Life As À Midwife.