Bets Cole - Biography

Artist's Statement

I am an artist because through making art I have found a way to learn, speak, question and record my journey. I draw and paint the time, not just the moment in time. My essential concern and constant struggle is to make visible my strength, energy and passion through the use of form, color and gesture in my work.

Often my images arise from nature or from the subjects that nature provides. I have consciously chosen to live in Oregon, in the country, for it is Oregon's landscape, atmosphere and color that give me hope, inspire me and bring me calm.

The paper, the medium and the process of painting and drawing are as important to me as the subject itself. I use paint (acrylic, gouache and watercolor), pastel and pencil. Each has its own personality and quality of mark, allowing choices and combinations that often challenge and surprise me.

My pieces evolve slowly and I have learned that to succeed, I must be patient and flexible. I continually re-work my surfaces, layer upon layer, which in turn allows the piece to gain depth, a sense of history and a voice of its own.

Bets Cole earned her undergraduate degree at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and her Master's of Fine Arts at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.

Her work is included in the following permanent collections:

M & T Investment Group, Baltimore, Maryland

Marathon Coach, Eugene, Oregon

Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon

University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon

Click here to view Bets Cole's website