Beth Cornell
The Artful Journey
by
Georgianna Lane, for Fine Art Registry®
My paintings are simple, yet there is always more than meets the eye. I paint; the painting is a journey unto itself. Enjoy the journey...
Beth Cornell was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania but traveled long and far to arrive at her current residence in Surprise, Arizona. Along the way, she faced challenges and made decisions, all of which shaped who she is as an artist today. A self-taught painter, her extensive background in graphic arts has given her an acute awareness of the power and nuances of color, an awareness that she uses to dramatic effect in her work.
Beth has always been an artist in some form or another. She painted on clothing and jackets when she was young and picked up a paintbrush after the birth of her daughter 15 years ago. She fell in love with acrylics right away.
"I consider myself a folk artist, an artist of the people, an ordinary person. I paint everyday things and experiences the way that I perceive them with my senses. My paintings can be enjoyed by people no matter where they fall on the economic spectrum. Success for me is creating something and having someone else fall in love with it and purchase it.
"I gave away a lot of my early creations, eventually I wanted to exhibit and found places to do so around Ft. Worth, Texas, later moving to Arizona. I sold my first piece, Boundaries, in 2000 in Glendale, Arizona at the Bill Drake Gallery for $125.00.
"Since then, I've sold 50 originals, about 20 limited editions, and an uncounted number of unlimited prints and note cards.
"I market my art with an online web presence, an email list/newsletter and with flyers for local events. I'm not aware of anything I've tried that hasn't worked in some respect, even if it wasn't what I intended - getting your name out there and having some recognition for your art is just a matter of persistence and being consistent in your presentation, in my opinion."
Influential Artists
Citing her influences, Beth cites Jesse Bretthorst and Joannes Sikora as two of her favorites. "I really like the simplicity that their work conveys.
"Also Jane Cooper and Barb Newport are influencing me to help them with their project An Art Affair. I may teach a class or have some of my work for sale during their fall workshops.
"I like self-taught or raw art. There are so many influences in that genre it's hard to list them all.
"I've been compared to Frida Kahlo and that's very flattering. I wasn't aware of her work until the comparison was made. I looked her up and found that there is indeed similarity in theme and composition. I admire her work and her life."
Continuing the Journey
When asked about the direction her art is taking, Beth admits to not having a master plan.
"What is my art trying to do? That is the real question. My art has a journey of it's own. I'm just along for the ride! I don't know what I'm trying to do – I literally just enjoy the process of creating the art that comes from the inside out. I sometimes begin a painting
with a clear vision in mind only to watch it transform into something unexpected on the canvas. This is fascinating for me. I am in this for the process, the journey and also to see where the art ends up - who buys it? Where does it get shown? These are all fascinating interests for me."
She adds, "I never anticipate what is going to happen for me as an artist. I have had a fantastic year so far. My art was part of an international exhibition in Los Angeles and locally my art was juried into the West Valley Art Museum's Celebrating Art of the West Valley show.
"I've had a great deal of sale and exhibition opportunity as well. I was granted a space with Via Colori in Scottsdale for October and as the year concludes I can only imagine what may pop up!"
And Beth has her own advice for potential collectors of her work: "Always choose the art that fills your environment with positive energy and choose for your own reasons and personal taste."
Finding the Missing Piece with Fine Art Registry®
Beth began tagging and registering her work in late 2007, after attending a seminar held by Fine Art Registry CEO Theresa Franks. To date, she has tagged and registered 37 paintings and is working on her entire inventory of 200. Even though this is a huge number, no painting leaves for sale or exhibit without being tagged and registered.
"For me, I feel it's valuable to tag and register my work because I've often lost track of who bought a painting or what happens to my work even within my own show rotation and inventory. This gives me some structure and also I feel it increases the value to collectors and shows that I'm serious about what I'm doing with my work and that I'm committed to continue.
"And I believe it has helped with sales. People seem to feel that the record of origin and connection to the artist is valuable. As years go by, and maybe they die and people are trying to sell off the estate, they can always fall back on the tag and number to find out about the painting and it's origins. I don't like the thought of my paintings being lost!
"I'm really grateful to the folks at FAR® for inventing this tagging and registering process and website. This has been the missing piece for me as a self-representing artist."
Visit Beth's Fine Art Registry gallery here. And visit her website and blog, Artful Journey.
— by Georgianna Lane
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September 1, 2008
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