0008 - Artist Betty Franks Krause unleashes joy through her abstract floral paintings

Betty Franks Krause was born in Toronto, Canada and raised in San Jose, California. She is a self-taught abstract artist who started painting when she turned 50. Although it seems late in life to take up painting, the timing was just right for her. 

After a long career in customer service management, she was ready to unleash her creative side. Here's what Betty has to say about her work: "I have a love for flowers…fields of flowers…and the lines in nature of trees, stems, branches, tall weeds. When it comes to the process of creating, I have very little patience, therefore, my preferred paint is acrylic. 

I find that acrylics dry quickly and allow me to move freely from one layer to the next. I also use mark making tools such as charcoal, graphite and pencils along with nails, skewers, toothpicks or anything else to scratch into the surface and create texture. Experimenting regularly allows for happy accidents that surprise and delight me. My art is filled with color, which reflects the joy I feel within and the positive outlook I have in life. It is my mission to spread that joy to others through my art."