2019-06-01 Country Homes & Interiors

Feature

fiona matthias

BethanyPerrytrainedasan

illustratorandworkedasa

make-upartistbeforeturning

tofineart,producingboldand

energeticpaintingsthatfocuson

thefemaleform.Sheis oneofa

numberofartistsfeaturedinthe

newlylaunched,internet-based

Runway Gallery.

tellusaboutyourartbackground.

i’vebeenpaintingeversincei

canremember.i grewupinthe

countryside,sotherewasalways

thefreedomandspacetobe

creative.atschool,i wasnever

greatatmathsorscienceandfound

outi wasdyslexicinmyearly

twenties,buti alwaysfeltconfident

inmyartisticcapabilities.i studied

illustrationatswindonaftercollege,

thenmovedtoLondon,wherei fell

intoworkingasa make-upartist.

myjourneyhashaditschallenges,

though,andi hada breakdown

inmytwenties.Duringmyrecovery,

itookupdancing,whichinspired

metoproducenewpiecesof

art.Dancefillsmybodywith so

much renewed energy.

Making her Mark

Howwouldyoudescribeyour

style?Bold,colourfuland

emotionallyexpressive.i love

playingwithtexturesandcontrast.

iuseacrylicandink,butliketo

introducedifferentmediums.most

ofmyworkis mixedmediaor

embellished.myworkis usually

concentratedaroundbeautyand

thefemaleform.i lookbeyond

beautyandchallengesocialnorms.

forme,beautyliesin difference

andimperfection.

Doesyourbackgroundinmake-

uphavea stronginfluence?

Definitely,andi evenusemake-up

inmywork,asit addsanotherlayer.

i meetincrediblepeopleworking

asa make-upartist.it givesmeso

muchpositiveenergyand fills up

my‘optimism’tank.

Doyouhavea go-tocolour

palette?if i hadtochoose,i would

sayredsandblues.Coloursconvey

emotions,soit alldependshowi

amfeeling.i’ma suckerfor vibrant

colourandneons,too.

Doyouhavea favouriteartist?

i’vealwaysbeena hugefanof

Wassily Kandinsky –his Composition

8 andYellow-Red-Bluearefavourites.

hisworkblowsmymind.hiscolour

paletteandthecomposition of his

piecesarebeautiful.

What’scomingupnext?i’mkeen

togetmyworkprintedonfabrics,

soi’mstartingtoexplorethat.

Doyouhaveanadvicefor

youngerartists?Exploreand

workonyourself– everything

else will follow.

Next moNth

Discovertheexoticfloraand

faunainprintmakerAlexandra

Gallagher’s exuberant artwork.

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