Beti Kristof with “Dancing Calla Lilli Garden” 73″ x 32″ oil and multi-media on canvas.

Beti Kristof: An Artist Ever Graceful

BY JOAN S. PECK

It had been a while since I had seen Beti Kristof, and I was delighted to meet with her to learn about her latest creation. I knew that she had just completed a project for a client involving a mural (something she has done over 200 plus times), but this time, Beti had used a new technique on a size that was one of the most expansive she had created.

To better understand Beti’s enthusiasm for art, you need to know she moved to Las Vegas in 1996 from Mammoth Lakes, California, where she was a professional artist for ten years before moving here.

In Mammoth Lakes – “My work was seen everywhere! I’m not kidding. From the flags on Main Street welcoming visitors to the town to the mosaic patterns in the sidewalk, restaurants, businesses, and private homes…I had my fingerprints everywhere, painting my way joyfully from one project to another while raising my two oldest children. My youngest was born in 1997 when we all moved to Las Vegas.”

“I would often say, “Have paintbrush, will travel!”

When did you begin creating?

BK: “A lifetime of creating started when I was four years old. I remember drawing people…stick people with eyebrows (I always remembered to add eyebrows). As my interest in art progressed, I was fortunate to expand my creative studies. It has taken me from Art Center College where I studied illustration; to Hawaii to study painting with Eva and Americo Makk; to Florence, Italy, where I was a student at Studio Art Centers International (SACI); to Joseph Shepherd and Madam Simi, also in Italy; and to California where I studied with Theodore Lukitz.”

“Hold the Line” by Beti Kristof & A.D. Cook

What is your favorite medium to work with?

BK: “I’m not sure I have a favorite. The medium I’ve used the most is Oil. I love sculpting as much as I love painting. There is a debate on which is the highest art form. Michelangelo and DaVinci may have had their differences in opinion … but I enjoy the tactile qualities of creating three-dimensionally. However, having drawn and painted for several decades might lend itself to my having an affinity for sculpting.”

While reviewing her website, I was struck by the painting Hold the Line as soon as I laid eyes on it. And I was surprised that two artists created it. So I asked,
Would you please share how the painting Hold The Line came about?

BK: “It’s an inspired progression of two creatives blending creative efforts. This painting had been a vision and an effort to create something that told a story of 2020. The image is all about the collective essence of those who go above and beyond for others.”

“The message is to honor those who have inspired the best in others and have given the best of themselves. They will be remembered for their selfless acts in making a difference in the world for good. God Bless and Thank You For All You Do.”

“Hold the Line is about the emotion the painting invokes in the viewer.”

Why is that emotion important to you?

BK: “Original art carries an energy from the one who creates it. On some level, the viewer connects to that organic creation completing a form of communication. That makes me hopeful that we won’t lose the spark of originality and the sensation of genuine emotional response in our lives.”

Do you like collaborating with other artists?

BK: “I love collaborating—period! Whether it’s artist to artist or artist to client. Perhaps the word ‘creative’ is a better description—creative people helping others implement their creative ideas. Either way, collaboration is a creative energy exchange and very stimulating! Thoughts and ideas coming together make up this equation: 1 brain + 1 brain = 11! The creativity becomes exponential! That is how we inspire, add beauty, celebrate the wonderful, and provide the uplifting spirit that gives wings to our soul and puts a smile on our faces.”

You said that many are seeking to be artists. Why do you think that is?

BK: “Without realizing it, people innately seek that awareness of better living and somehow the desire to be creative. When creatives or artists are in the realm of creativity, they automatically feel uplifted and realize a higher power. Inspiration brings hope.”

Photo by Grant Mohn

What is one of your favorite pieces you’ve done?

BK: “The Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital fundraising sculpture is my pride and joy because it’s so close to my heart. The fact is that the work St. Jude’s does is likely a factor to the positive results of my son’s battle at the age of five with childhood leukemia.”

I couldn’t wait to see Beti’s latest creation, and when she showed me the photos of her artwork, I was stunned and speechless. It was beyond anything I imagined the mural would look like. It was magnificent! There are no words to describe how the energy the piece projected made me feel. I felt connected to all that is…something that doesn’t always happen to me upon seeing a work of art. I was curious to know more.

Beti, I was blown away by the photos of your latest creation. So, how did this come about?

BK: “I was retained to come up with a design my prospective client had imagined. It was to adorn a very tall space in a living room area (30’ high). It was to be something that could enhance her art collection gathered from around Asia. We discussed a tree but had no idea it would become a Bonsai to expand from the stairwell around into the front wall of the living area. The owner of the home and I had a wonderful time collaborating, and I was entrusted to indulge my talents and artistic license.

“As the artist in residence, it was easy to become immersed in the project…I purchased a Bonsai tree as inspiration, even though the end produced nothing like its muse. One of my favorite parts of the mural, other than the expansive tree limbs and floral leaves, are the whimsical roots. Untethered, the roots take on a life of their own, incorporating the design elements of the existing stone-carved mantle tying the design elements together. It just happens!”

Photo by Grant Mohn

What is the size of this stunning artwork?

BK: “The mural sits in the house’s entranceway and around a corner that covers a huge area, 30’ high x 40’ across. I had to build a scaffold to work on something that high. Supports were made by drilling into the walls to hold the scaffolding in place. It was quite a feat to accomplish.”

How long did it take you to complete this project?

BK: “It took between 7 – 9 weeks to finish. Projects tend to grow. The original discussion was not as expansive as what ended up being created. It just felt right for the tree to turn the corner from the stairwell and drape across the 30 foot high walls to encompass the entire living room area.”

What do you call this type of creation?

BK: “It’s an organic handcrafted wall sculpture, carving… a bas relief.”

Are you planning to create more artwork like this?

BK: “My next project is a sculpted mural for a beautiful home in Summerlin. It will be a living room once again sans stairs and elaborate scaffolds.”

Photo by Grant Mohn

I know you have a lot going on besides your murals. What is your next project outside of sculpting?

BK: “Recently, I’m in the process of wrapping up a novel for a client, which will come out mid-2022.

“Also, I’m looking forward to a massive project off Colorado and 3rd Streets in the Arts District. It involves a coffee shop and artsy offerings… just a tease to keep the readers’ ears and eyes open to something fun and a new hangout!

“Last year, 2020, I collaborated with Philip Corriera on his book, “My Goodnight Prayer,” (MyGoodnightPrayer.com) inspired by an evening ritual he shared with all five of his children.

“Also, I’m collaborating with Susan Haller, a noted performer, and singer from Las Vegas, who surprised me years ago with a song when I dropped by her home for a glass of wine and conversation. “I Will Give You My Hand” is written inspired by my daughter, born without her left forearm, which stopped her never! (She has gone on to win three silver medals for the U.S. in skiing at the 2002 Paralympics in Utah). Years later, Susan and I have agreed that I would illustrate the words for a children’s story based on this song which will hopefully be out in Spring 2022. Perhaps the words reflect what an inspiration those are to others who seem to have to overcome so much, and they do it with grace and ease…”

A teaser… “sometimes an angel is not meant to soar, for down here on Earth you can offer much more.”

“Iris Garden,” Oil, 73″ x 30,” by Beti Kristof

What do you most appreciate about your gift of creating?

BK: “In the act of creating, it makes me feel like I’m in the most perfect place in the world—a place where head, heart, soul, and hand connect in an elegant and expressive experience of living in the moment.”

Saying goodbye to Beti left me with much to think about. I sensed how vital her artwork was to her, and combined with her spirituality, she has the power by encouraging collaboration between creators to increase the desire in all of us for a better way of living… a kinder way of living. And I was hopeful.

You can see Beti’s creations on her website and her canvas works at Centaur Gallery off Dean Martin Road in Las Vegas.

Contact information:
BetiKristof@yahoo.com
BetiKristofArt.com