Congratulations to Beth Bale
SBPC’s 2025 Artist of the Year

About the Artist

Beth is a self-taught watercolor artist and is currently also working in acrylic doing abstract flow art.  Beth paints scenes of nature including animals, landscapes and florals, and loves a wet-into-wet approach to painting.  She studied art at Georgetown College in Kentucky and began watercolor painting with a single independent study watercolor course during college.  For the past ten years or more she has painted almost exclusively in watercolor until her recent return to acrylic painting  and now teaches watercolor painting classes in Pittsboro and Vass, NC, with the wonderful “problem” of having a full roster of students in most of her classes, many times with a wait list. The privilege of teaching this amazing artistic medium is not lost on her and Beth feels blessed to be able to do this wonderful “work”. Whether in her classes or in her more personal paintings, Beth’s love of nature has always shown itself in her art.  Her pets and farm animals (chickens and horses) find a place in many of her paintings, as well as animals from the NC Zoo and other local animal venues.  Her love of gardening gives ample stimulation for her floral paintings.

When moving to this area from Durham nearly 20 years ago, Beth struggled to find her “art people”. This search for a local artistic community served as the impetus for her organizing and running Three River’s Arts Festival, NC, annually from 2010 until 2015 at her farm in DC (Deep Chatham), as some call it. This experience put Beth in touch with numerous local and regional artists and craftspeople and was an expansive artistic experience, though still not putting her in touch with the Sanford Brush & Palette Club.  After Three Rivers Arts Festival, Beth joined the Chatham County Artists Guild and Studio Tour, during which the public is invited to see her art at her farm in December of each year, and shortly after this she finally discovered Sanford Brush & Palette Club through attending the annual art show. When she found out she could become a member of this wonderful group of artists and creatives, she jumped on board and never looked back. Beth says she recalls frequently returning from Club events in those early years and telling her wife, Alli, that “These are my people”. Beth has participated in every annual art show since joining the Club and been the recipient of various awards at the show, including taking top ribbon for What I Love About Sanford in 2024, the John Wicker Award for watercolor painting and Viewer’s Choice to name a few. Beth said she loves the variety of artistic mediums, expressions and experience levels represented at “The most amazing single show I’ve ever been a part of.” Beth wants members to know how meaningful this group has been to her and is hopeful for a long future of Club adventures and friendships.

Beth has been a member of the Brush & Palette Club for the past 11 years and has served the Club as a board member, has worked on the nominating committee, membership committee, gallery committee, and art show set-up and planning. Beth has taught numerous classes in watercolor for Club members and has led art critiques for the group, as well as leading/organizing a plein air painting event at her farm or other Sanford locations nearly annually.

Beth is a signature member of the Watercolor Society of NC, having been juried into a number of the group’s annual exhibits and now maintains Silver Signature Member status. She has been the group’s Central Region Co-Director as well. Beth has served as president of the Chatham Artists Guild and as a member of the board. 

Beth works full-time in healthcare in occupational therapy at UNC Hospitals NC Jaycee Burn Center, as well as caring for a 12-acre farm with chickens and horses.   Beth’s artwork can be found at Artworks Vass in Vass, NC; WomanCraft in Carrboro, NC; and Maddie King Davis Gallery in Beaufort, as well as on her website and at the annual art show and studio tour. 

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