Bettye Brookfield has been a horsewoman all her life (she has raised performance horses and rides dressage), and it is her passion to paint them. A native Kentuckian, Bettye continues to paint race horses and the excitement of the Kentucky Derby. She has uniquely combined theses images with Kentucky Bourbon, superimposing the well known bourbon bottles in front of the field of race horses. These paintings are among her most popular work. Kentucky Bourbon and race horses are real winners!
Bettye graduated as a Master of Fine Art from Memphis College of Art, in Elvis Presley’s home town, and has painted larger than life Elvis portraits, some of which are hanging in ‘Delila’s’ in Chicago and in homes in Santa Monica, California.
Bettye has created colorful indoor murals in three Mexican Restaurants, outdoor sculptures, and large 10’x4′ horse paintings for the airport for the celebration of the International Equestrian Games.
Bettye’s house, set in the rolling hills of Kentucky, on Bear Wallow Road in Springfield, reminds Bettye of Provence in France where she has painted for many summers. Her remembrance of these are in her own words:
“I completed a series of 18 paintings in the South of France in the Summer of 1999. They were hung in the Yvonne Rapp Gallery, October 12 through November 4, 1999. This was my second painting trip to Provence, returning to some of the sights that are of particular interest to me. In Aries I painted Park of the Enfants, the very poignant sculpture of the woman with her dying infants, representing the children of France who died in the war. At Lacoste I painted Bell at Lacoste as seen from the base of the Chateau of the Marquis de Sade. I am particularly drawn to these village bells. They ring on the hour and again 5 minutes after, in case you missed the first. It represents a ‘second chance’ to me, something I’m in favor of. While there I painted Cemetery at Lacoste, the well-tended and beautifully landscaped family burial plot typical of the villages in Provence.
Not far from Gordes is the Abbey of Senanque, home of the Cistercian monks. The stone Abbey and the fields of lavender offered me peace and tranquility that I have not experienced since the death of my Mother this past Spring. At La Rochette, the 12th century cottage which I rented at Montgagnes, I painted 2 paintings of the garden and the Barn at Montgagnes. The cottage was nestled among fertile fields of sunflowers, garlic, corn, and pasture for cattle and sheep. The undulating patterns of the fields are represented in several views of Puylaurens. Evenings I enjoyed a glass of the local wine and painted various Still Life compositions of sunflowers from the field, calla lilies and various flowers from the garden, and vegetables from market day. Most of the pastries did not survive long enough to be included in the paintings!”
It is easy to understand why the incredible light and colors of Provence have attracted artists for centuries. The love of the land is evident in the care and fertility of the croplands; food is prepared as a feast for the eyes as well as the palate; gardens burst with ever-changing color and the warmth of the people permeate the language barrier.
It must be every artist’s fantasy to paint the views of Van Gogh, Cezanne, and Matisse. For these experiences I am truly fortunate and I hope my paintings reflect the joy I felt there!”