Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Betsy Askew. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Betsy, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of the amazing, creative, and talented people in my life teaching me their trades over the years. I guess I could have gone to art school to speed up the learning process. Instead I chose the long road of teaching myself and using my resources. For my street art, it’s a combination of common sense and knowing the tools of the trade. I’ve learned a lot of skills over the years from wood-working to metal fabrication to screen printing, but the biggest obstacle was learning that what you think, is what you become.

Betsy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My full name is Betsy Kay Askew and my nickname is B~Kay (aka my artist name). I was born in 1986 and I’ve been wheat pasting since 2005. I’m proudly from Houston and have been living in Austin since 2007. My art is an extension of my soul. I like to think that my love for colors is a reflection of the way I see beauty in all things. My style has always been uniquely mine and was organically created with years of self-taught drawing and painting. My hand-painted characters have evolved over the years from Cyclops characters and people into other strange beings. I’m inspired by the people in my life. Some of them get lucky and I turn them into one of my characters. When I first started creating art, I made a lot of collages as a base for my characters. Using them as a way to communicate my feelings about current events. In the past, I enjoyed cutting out wood shapes and faces and adding tiny colorful circles, which I find therapeutic as well as mesmerizing. I use a very colorful palette and have a fascination for eyes. Lately I’ve been hand-painting one of a kind T-shirts, which has been challenging but still a lot of fun.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

NFTs turn my stomach upside down. I feel like it’s scamming people out of money using unnecessary energy. I’d like to call it matrix art. I think it encourages humans to stay disconnected and to feed the machine. Going to art shows, interacting with people, feeling the energy around you, and seeing the art in person is worth more than just owning a digital copy of something.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

It’s having an outlet for my emotions, a place to reflect, and a place to meditate. It connects me to my higher self and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/bkayallday
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bkayallday/
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Bkayallday?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

Image Credits
Photographer Javi Glz Photographer Rebecca Marino