Today we’d like to introduce you to Bethany Dobson

Hi Bethany, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

I always loved creating fantasies I wished I lived in, and since I was very young, turning the things that frightened me into things that were beautiful. I grew up with a lot of harsh ugliness. It forced my mind to wander into other places, and art helps me bring these places and things alive. Ultra colorful horrorscapes and the lovely and broken. Being chronically ill helped push me into art being a career rather than a hobby, and although the road is bumpy and difficult, I couldn’t be happier with my ability to grow my creativity.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Its always a struggle being a full-time artist. When you are in a career that isn’t a necessity for everyday living and survival, it creates a harsh road of finding people who are passionate about art to be fully supportive of it, and able to. Especially given the way the world is currently working, just skating by can be so difficult for so many people, if not the majority. But, even with those difficulties, art is one of those things that makes life worth living. Music, movies, anime, books, dancing, etc. These things make day to day living so much more beautiful and magical. Human emotion and representation, finding connection through art and peoples lives and artistic strokes. Its a wonderful thing, and worth the ‘luxury’ of supporting art.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?

I’m an acrylic painter. I work mostly with stretched canvas, and I sell my traditional work. My favorite paint is liquitex, especially the neons, hahaha. I also dabble in sculpting, which I really enjoy doing. I also use a lot of other things in my paintings, such as rhinestones, half pearls, and of course, glitter. All of my paintings are varnished, so everything gets nice and sealed on the canvas, or sculpture.

I’m known for my bright, rainbow style mixed with off-putting and sometimes horrific subject matter. Its not always the case, sometimes I like cute things by themselves, or just things I find beautiful in general. My favorite paintings are ones I take deeply from within myself, from my experiences and mental obstacles.

I offer my originals for the most part, but I am also always open for commissions. Prices vary painting to painting, so I always need a good description and size wanted to be able to give a good estimate. One of my favorite things to do are pet portrait commissions. I am a huuuge animal lover, and I am always so blessed to paint a loved family member.

How do you define success?

Success, to me, would be feeling not held back to create everything and anything your brain comes up with, with no obstacles or feelings of guilt or regret. And what I mean by guilt, is knowing there is probably not a huge audience for something you could be creating, and doing it anyways. Everything you create shouldn’t, and doesn’t have to be, purely to be able to sell it eventually. As a financially struggling artist, it can be very difficult to be at peace with doing pure creative and personal projects because of always needing funds to continue your business, but its a necessity to be true to yourself and your art. I think doing so will bring in the people who truly connect with you, and who you are. And that is what I view as success. Having a community of love and connection.

Pricing:

• 16″x20″ Stretched canvas painting is typically 400-600$ depending on details/difficulty/materials.
• 12″x12″ Pet Portraits on stretched canvas are typically around 150$-200$
• 20″x20″ Stretched canvas paintings are usually 550-700$$
• 30″x24″ Stretched canvas are in the 1000-1500$ range.
• I offer a lot of other sizes for paintings, but those are my most common. I always ask for an email or DM (on Instagram or Facebook) to get more information!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BethAliceArt
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethaliceartt/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethaliceart
• Other: https://www.patreon.com/bethaliceart