It’s my pleasure to share this interview with Bethany Czarnecki, an artist/mother based in Westport, Connecticut. It’s worth noting at the outset that Bethany is another fabulous artist represented by Massey Klein Gallery in New York, alongside former Artist/Mother podcast guests Sarah Irvin and Allison Reimus.
In her work, Bethany blends sensuous, organic forms and vibrant colors to craft swirling abstract compositions that are equally introspective and expressive. Like many of us, her path to art has been less than conventional, but it enriches her creative perspective. With a background in sociology and long-standing interests in culture and the human psyche, Bethany worked in finance for a decade before she “woke up one day with a compelling urge to paint” while pregnant with her third child about four and half years ago.
Bethany and her work remind us that being an artist means always learning and embracing the role of being “an infant” in the studio. Her self-taught skills are an asset, as she approaches art with fresh eyes and an eagerness to experiment. Her relationship to painting with oils is intuitive, improvisational, and ever-evolving in the best way possible, with her work calling to mind historic feminine transcendentalists and abstract expressionists alike through its biomorphic sensuality.
Additionally, Bethany talks us through her work week and the importance of “dialoguing” with the work itself. We also discuss using social media to develop the kind of social networks one might otherwise develop through traditional institutional and educational structures. Regardless of how you find or build your personal professional network, however, we agree on one paramount thing: working with people who understand your life experience is utterly invaluable.
See more of Bethany’s work on her website or on IG @bethanyczarnecki
The Artist/Mother podcast is created and hosted by Kaylan Buteyn. You can see more of Kaylan’s work on her website or connect with her on Instagram @kaylanbuteyn
