Lockee and my Mother. Lockee was wearing one of her many beautiful hats.
Lockee, my brother and me.
Lockee was still working well into her 80’s.
Yellow Gloves inspired by my grandmother, Lockee.
Welcome to my studio!
My name is Betty Turner and I am an artist living in a small rural town in Tennessee. I love painting the everyday people and things I see all around me. Sunlit garden pathways, memories from early morning walks and the faces of those I love are all part of my work. My paintings are often whimsical with handwritten verses, favorite recipes, or personal reflections that I use to connect with my viewers. I hope my art will draw you into a world that is filled with kindness and gentle humor. These are the people and things that bring joy to my life. Thank you for letting me share them with you.
Bee’s Whimsical ladies
My Whimsical Ladies are inspired by women I know and admire. Some are friends, family members or mentors I’ve had during my lifetime. I don’t try to get a literal likeness of each person because I’m more interested in capturing their unique personalities or attitudes. As a woman of a ‘certain age’ myself, I appreciate the humor, wisdom and beauty that comes with getting older. I hope you enjoy my Whimsical Ladies and the stories that inspired them!
“ Yellow Gloves”
I was visiting our local library one afternoon when the librarian, a friend of mine, asked me to read a poem, entitled “When I Am old”. I have no idea who wrote the lovely little poem but it ,immediately, made me think of my beloved grandmother, Lockee. Lockee was a smart, independent business woman who was widowed in the 1930’s. At the time of my grandfather’s death, they had four children and had just opened a 5 &10 cent store in the small rural town they lived in. As a widow, no one would sell the inventory that she desperately needed to stay in business. After all, she was only a mere woman who people believed was incapable of running a business! Never one to give up easily, Lockee came up with a plan. She began using the first initials of her given name when ordering merchandise or doing business. That way, no one knew she was a woman.
As her business grew, she opened several more dime stores in neighboring small towns, as well as, a wholesale business. She was smart, successful, sophisticated and not your typical grandmother of that day
I adored her!
That was the beginning of Bee’s Whimsical Ladies and my first illustration, Yellow Gloves.
