NEW YORK – Betty Garrison: Crafting a Masterpiece Home Gallery
It’s a rare privilege to be invited into an artist’s private world and view their treasure trove of artwork. Recently, I was fortunate enough to receive such a unique invitation.
Betty Garrison is a talented, lifelong acrylic painter whose hidden treasures grace the walls of her spacious, multi-level townhouse in Wayne, New Jersey. Years ago, Garrison graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in art. She spent her adulthood as a loving wife and mother to two children. She always dabbled with her paintbrush; a decade ago, she began drawing.
Garrison’s passion is perceptible in every room. “My home is a gallery with many types of art on the walls,” Garrison said. “All who come into my home are welcome to hang out and view my work.”
Pencil Art Studios
In the home’s front entryway is an appealing acrylic of the beach at sunset in Cape Cod, its warm hues of red, yellow, and blue pleasant to the eye. On another wall, one will see a pencil art drawing of the 2nd bassoonist in the New Jersey Symphony, so lifelike it’s uncanny. Betty developed her drawing skills at Pencil Art Studios in Little Falls, a gift that opened social doors after her husband died.
Hopperesque Nude
Garrison’s collection includes a variety of styles, including a stunning Hopperesque nude she painted in 1998. Next to the staircase, an extraordinary triptych (a work of art divided into three sections) features a lifelike, cascading waterfall scene with a magical movement that draws the eye down the wall. Garrison traveled to the gardens in Giverny, painting a remarkable acrylic comparable to any Monet. Her humbleness is admirable.
George Webber
“Sometimes I walk into my house and say, ‘Wow, how did I do that,’” Garrison said. However, she gives a lot of credit to her professor, George Webber, who was the head of the Rutgers art department and significantly influenced her with his “magnificent vocabulary.” Her praise of his impact on her is touching.
Award-winning Canvases
Webber immediately observed Garrison’s natural skills, and he fostered her enthusiasm for creating visuals. This positivity turned into award-winning canvases that won several art shows.
Garrison’s studio is on the townhouse’s top floor. It has two easels and abundant tubes of paint, brushes, and pencils. The lighting is as bright as Garrison’s bubbling personality.
Betty Garrison: Crafting a Masterpiece Home Gallery
Her Motto
Looking around at the magnificent artwork in Garrison’s home, one cannot deny she has lived by her motto. “To this day, an empty canvas needs work,” Garrison said. “In my studio, the canvas is always there, waiting.”
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