Day 60/100: Bethany Saab
Encouraging an Australian Creative who is a Painter and a Psychotherapist
Today, as part of my 100 Days of Encouragement Project, I am celebrating Bethany Saab — a self-taught painter, mother, and practicing psychotherapist creating in Canberra, Australia.
Bethany began painting with intention in 2020 when she discovered the power of the still life genre to offer intimate glimpses into our personal spaces and allow her to exercise her love of color, fabric and pattern. She finds that the genre is a source of constant inspiration — she’s always seeing things that she wants to paint!
Though she has no formal fine arts training, Bethany grew up with parents who were working artists, art teachers, and appreciators of aboriginal art. Inspired by the vibrant creative community of Alice Springs in the 80s and 90s, Bethany and her sisters were always encouraged in creative expression. Bethany found it easy to share her mom’s passion for gardening – so much so, that she was a self-taught florist before she began still life painting.
Today, juggling the demands of her psychotherapy practice, motherhood, and her burgeoning art career is tricky. But Bethany meets the challenge by working in acrylics (fast drying times make working in small doses possible), choosing to paint quotidian objects and scenes from direct observation, and making her painting practice part of her mindfulness routine.
Bethany’s painting practice is also a source of joy because it strengthens her connection to her mother, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2016. She says that painting makes her feel close to her mum. Though, currently in the midst of designing an outbuilding home studio, she is also reminded of how much she misses her mother’s guidance and ideas.
Her paintings often consist of scattered fruits and everyday objects on richly patterned tabletops. They celebrate the beauty in the mundane moments of everyday life.
Her use of color is intuitive, leaning toward pastels in a mix of flat and textured applications. She likes the fresh, clean look of her chosen palette, which creates a sense of airiness and openness, even in her busiest compositions.
Starting with two sold-out mini releases in 2020, Bethany went on to show her first solo exhibition with Michael Reid Northern Beaches in January 2021. Her debut solo show at Michael Reid Murrurundi — Light and Lucency — ran in March and April 2022.
She has also participated in multiple group exhibitions in Australia, including the 2021 Objets de la Vie exhibition at the Grainger Gallery. She was also a Finalist in the 2021 Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale online award.
Bethany was featured on the arts podcast Interview with An Artist in April 2021, as well as appearing in The Design Files 'Emerging Painters you should know'; ArtEdit Magazine; and The Australian Newspaper ‘Inaugural Summer Exhibition’.
How You Can Be an Encouragement
Please check out Bethany’s offerings on Instagram, follow her, and send her some encouragement today by commenting on one of her posts or sending her a direct message.
Instagram: @bethanysaabart
Website: www.bethanysaab.com
