HOME-GROWN ARTIST - Indian River Magazine

ARTSEASON OF THE ARTSHOME-GROWNARTISTColleen Nash Becht reawakened the artistwithin her a decade ago and has canvassedthe Treasure Coast art scene ever sinceBY CATHERINE ENNS GRIGAS | PHOTOS BY ED DRONDOSKIFort Pierce watercolor artist Colleen Nash Becht exploresthe movement and reflection of the water in her work,“Treasure Today,” a painting that was used as the cover forthe St. Lucie Travel Guide for 2011-2012.66

ARTColleen Nash Becht’s meticulously rendered watercolorssplashed with the color and subject matterof the tropics show the gift and focus of an artistwho has worked a lifetime to hone her work.But Becht, who just turned 50, will tell you thatit took her longer than most to find her way to painting andalthough she knew she had artistic talent, it took more than anudge, and many years, to get her going in the right direction.The fourth in a family of six children, Becht, who is marriedto Fort Pierce City Commissioner Eddie Becht, grew up inChicago and moved to Fort Pierce with her family in 1976.>>SEASON OF THE ARTSBecht’s attention to detail, keen observation and control of her medium andsense of humor are exemplified in this painting of spiny lobsters, “Eye forD-tail.”Becht began painting full time a decade ago. She stands in front of a paintingin her Second Street studio.POP ART REVISITED:A 21st Century PerspectiveSeptember 29, 2012 – January 2, 2013LANDSCAPE PAINTINGSOF ADAM STRAUSSeptember 15, 2012 – January 6, 2013NORMAN ROCKWELL:Behind the CameraOctober13, 2012 – January 13, 2013Adam Straus,The Next to the Last Iceberg, 2006-7, oil on canvas encased inlead, 29 1/4 x 31 1/4 x 2 inches, Collection of Mrs. Georgia E. WellesRobert Rauschenberg, Signs (detail), 1970, color serigraph, 44 5/8 x 35 1/4inches, Collection of University of South Florida, Museum PurchaseNorman Rockwell, Art Critic, 1955, tearsheet, cover illustration for The SaturdayEvening Post, April 16, 1955, Norman Rockwell Museum Archival Collections.Exhibition Hours:Mon. to Sat. 10am - 4:30pm; Sun. 1pm - 4:30pm– admission fees apply –3001 Riverside Park DriveVero Beach Florida 32963(772) 231-0707www.verobeachmuseum.orgThe Museum Café / Catering by Adrienne DrewMon. – Sat. 11am to 2:30 pm– sandwiches • salads • soups • sweets –67

SEASON OF THE ARTSART“She captures Florida’s natural beauty with its spectacularcolors and light. Her work reminds me to be aware of theglorious environs I might otherwise take for granted.”It wasn’t that her artistic talent wasn’t noticed. “For sixkids, the highlight of the winter in Chicago was getting thatnew box of 64 Crayola crayons,” she says. “I would alwaystake out the magenta crayon and hide it. Nobody could use itbut me.”When Becht was a sophomore at John Carroll HighSchool, her art teacher, Sister Imelda Eckhoff, recognizedthat she could benefit from art classes beyond what theschool could offer.She began taking classes with noted local artist Helen Terry.“I was 16, and I would go with much older people to takefigure drawing in Palm Beach on Worth Avenue,” she recalls.She had no plans for college, but without her knowledge, hermother, Alice, and Sister Imelda put together a portfolio ofher work. She was accepted into the fine arts program at East>>—Virginia Moens, collectorBecht at work using the natural light coming through the window of her studio.“Want Wasabi” displays not only the artist’s sense of humor, but her use of subjects that have tropical appeal.68

ARTBackus MuseuMHoliday ArtFestivalNovember 23, 2012 —January 11, 2013SEASON OF THE ARTSBecht laughs that you can find her staring at vegetables when she goesshopping, resulting in paintings such as “Farmer’s Market Fresh,” of a trioof peppers.Carolina University in Greenville, N.C.“My mom told me three days before classes started andput me on the airplane, and I went,” she says. A rebelliousteenager, Becht says she “partied her way out.” Once shereturned to Fort Pierce, she says, “I never drew or paintedanother thing.”THE ARTIST WITHINShe married and raised two children, Allie Wetzel, now 24,and Drake Wetzel, now 21. Following a divorce, she marriedBecht and became stepmother to Brian Becht, 27. She shouldhave been happy, she knew, but she says she felt a void in herlife that she couldn’t explain.“I finally realized that I really missed an opportunity to bean artist,” she says. Her husband immediately went out andgot her a $250 gift certificate to Michael’s Craft Store. She hadnever been in the store before, and didn’t know what shewould find.“I walked past the silk flowers and the scrapbookingthings and in the back of the store, I found the watercolorsand some note cards and I thought, “This is something I cando with the kids.’”It was just the push she needed. From the note cards, shebegan painting, taking classes at the Vero Beach Museum ofArt. One of her instructors watched as she squeezed the paintinto paper cups, then let it run together on the paper, nottextbook watercolor technique. “He told me, ‘Darling, I thinkyou have it because you are creating beautiful work, but youare way out of control,’ “ she recalls.She got encouragement from Lafferandre Gallery in FortPierce, where she was invited to exhibit her paintings, andshe began winning awards for her work in the local art scene.With a job working as an occupational specialist for IndianRiver State College, Becht had to fit painting into her workday,usually getting up at 4 a.m. Ten years ago, Becht decidedto devote herself full time to painting. She now usually putsin 12-hour days, working on three to four paintings at a time.Her watercolors are intricate and detailed, often hyper-realisticrenditions done at close range. Her subject matter varies,>>Holiday art FestivalNovember 23, 2012 - January 11, 2013Shop for distinctive holiday gifts at our Holiday Art Festival!This event will feature artwork, jewelry, pottery, glass,paintings, wood, and more for sale.Think unique this holiday season!art sale & Holiday Festival oPeN HouseFriday, November 30, 2012 5 - 8:00 p.m.Hors d’oeuvres & Holiday spiritsFree admission / open to the PublicArt lovers and holiday shoppers convene to browse andshop for one-of-a-kind gifts and original works of art. Aspecial gift valued at $75 will be given to everyone whomakes a purchase of $25 or more during the Open Houseon Friday or saturday, 11/30 or 12/1, 2012!10% off * all PurchasesNov. 30th and dec. 1st *Restrictions apply.saturday at tHe Festivaldecember 1, 2012 / 10 - 2:00 p.m.Free admission / open to the PublicrefreshmentsEnjoy all the festivities you might expect from a HolidayCelebration and more. See live artist demonstrations, listento carolers perform some of your favorite holiday songsand shop for one of a kind Holiday gifts.Sponsored by:500 N. Indian River Drive | Historic Downtown Fort Pierce772.465.0630 | www.backusmuseum.com69

ARTSEASON OF THE ARTSCOLLEEN’S STUDIOA watercolor painting Becht did of the historic house and studio she and her husband, City CommissionerEddie Becht, recently purchased.Colleen Nash Becht’s new studio and gallery space is inan historic house on the edge of downtown Fort Pierce.Built in 1901, the house at 219 N. Second Street servedas a waterfront boarding house during the city’s early daysand was owned by a woman named Elizabeth JuanitaPalmer. Becht and her husband, City Commissioner EddieBecht, recently bought the house and are renovating it.Becht has done some investigation into the home’s history,as well as its first owner, who left a box of intriguingletters in an upstairs closet.Becht laughingly refers to it as “the love shack” and it hasbecome an after-work stopover for friends.Her newest work will be on display at the house startingNov. 15. Call 772-216-8267 for an appointment.NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTSSchedule your consultation today.Jose J. Pozo, MDBOARD CERTIFIED NEUROLOGISTFor more information, call 772.878.5057Most insurances acceptedOFFICE LOCATION 240 NW Peacock Blvd. • Suite 101 • Port St. Lucie, FL 3498670

ARTThese Are The OnlyCorners We Cut.SEASON OF THE ARTSColleen and Eddie welcome guests on the porch of their “new” old houseon the edge of downtown Fort Pierce.from florals to sea creatures to fruits, and her latest obsession,wooden dinghys.LIGHT ON THE SUBJECTObservation figures greatly into her art and she says peoplesometimes wonder about her sanity when she gazes at thetropical fruit in the supermarket, or spends time staring atpalm trees. “The light in nature,” she says, “is what it is allabout, and what the light does to the color.”She is grateful for one aspect of her college time. Shelearned how to draw, she says, an important starting pointfor her paintings. Always fond of watercolors, she has neverthought about using any other medium, but she has graduatedto Daniel Smith Extra Fine Water Colors and Arches300-pound rough paper — so heavy “you can throw it acrossthe room,” she says.She works from photographs she takes of her subjects.>>Quality craftsmanship,excellent customer serviceand superior knowledge are whatwe bring to every framing job. Whetherthe art you want to frame is small or large,inexpensive or priceless you deserve the attentionto detail that is our signature.Oldest Frame Shop in Vero BeachMaster Certified Picture FramersFrank’sHang-Up(772) 567-7692 · 485 22nd Place · Vero Beach, FL 32960“Call It a Day” is one of the paintings from Becht’s boat series.71

ARTSEASON OF THE ARTSBecht was inspired by the dinghies in Sausalito, where her sister lives, and has painted them many times. “I really want to capture the light and the reflectionin the water,” she says.Now, she says, she is constantly challenging herself,experimenting with techniques or with subject mattersuch as the dinghys. “I was visiting my sister, Blaze,who lives in Sausalito. [California]. In Richardson’s Bay,there are hundreds of dinghys and wonderfully differentin size and shape and the magic of that reflected inthe water is what I want to try and get,” she says.COLLECTOR EDITIONSBecht’s work has gained national and internationalrecognition. Her awards include second-place in thefloral and garden competition of International ArtistMagazine’s 2007 competition, honorable mention inthe wildlife category for The Artist Magazine’s 2011competition and a first-place reader’s choice award inMarlin Magazine’s 30 th -anniversary issue in 2011.Her watercolors also have attracted the attention ofart lovers and collectors. Charlotte C. Weber, who ison the board of New York’s Metropolitan Museum ofArt, has included Becht’s work in her collection.“I have collected art for many years and as a resulthave amassed quite an eclectic collection,” We->>Becht’s paintings are admired for their vivid color and exacting artistry, as in “Coccoloba Uvifera,” and “Happy Hour.”72

SEASON OF THE ARTS

ARTSEASON OF THE ARTSBecht discovered a box of intriguing letters left by the original owner of hercirca 1901 house, formerly a boarding house.COMPLETE FAMILY EYE CAREDr. Shannon clarK leitenbauer Dr. Kelly Jacobi WaDDelloptometric PhysiciansComprehensive Examinations • Glaucoma & Cataract TestingLASIK Treatment Referral • Dry Eye Treatment • Diabetic Eye Care• Macular Degeneration • Contact Lens Services • Optical Services• Friendly, Experienced Staff • State-Of-The-Art Equipment• Industrial Safety Programs772.465.6616 772.465.0544WIDE SELECTION OF FRAMES AVAILABLEINCLUDING THE LATEST STYLES & THE TOP DESIGNER BRANDS2305 Oleander Blvd. | Fort Pierce, FL | www.crlaitoptical.comber says. “I amhappy to have acouple of Colleen’spieces onmy walls. She hasan extraordinaryeye for detail andcolor, and she isa great technician,but it is theemotive qualityof her work thatreally attracts me.In its beauty andsimplicity her“An Evening in Tropical Paradise,” shows hervibrant use of color.work translates an ordinary moment into something eternaland sublime.”Another collector, Virginia Moens, says that as a high-endboutique owner, she has seen the work of many area artists.“Colleen’s nautical images are a cut above any I have seen,and I am honored to have one in my collection,” she says. “Shecaptures Florida’s natural beauty with its spectacular colorsand light. Her work reminds me to be aware of the gloriousenvirons I might otherwise take for granted.”When “Wined Down” Wine launched its beach-friendlybeverage, Becht’s art fit into its concept so well that she wascommissioned to design the label.But her successes keep Becht focused on painting and continuingto experiment.“I guess I have to do everything the hard way, that I amgoing to take the road less traveled,” she says.74

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