This week’s Friday Feature is the wonderful Beth Elsdon. Using soft neutrals, with pops of colour, and lots of textural layers, Beth creates contemporary and emotive pieces of art from her studio in North Yorkshire. With personal experience of the ups and downs in life, Beth has a passion for creating pieces that really resonate and connect with people on a deeper level (giving them a moment of calm, hope, or joy), and helping others express their own feelings through art during her workshops.
Let’s get to know more about the woman behind the creativity…
One of my earliest creative memories is decorating my own bedroom as a child. My parents gave me free rein—which, looking back, was a bold move! I’ve always been drawn to interiors and creating spaces that feel personal, so having the chance to design my room felt incredibly special. It probably looked less polished than I like to remember (there were definitely some stencils involved—it was the ’90s, after all), but it was the first time I realised how powerful it is to shape your environment through creativity.
Absolutely. Creativity is how I ground myself. It’s my way of tuning in, slowing down, and making sense of the noisy bits in life. When I’m painting, I’m present. The act of mixing colours or brushing layers is a form of meditation for me and I often lose myself for way longer than I was planning in a studio session.
Yes—many times over. Painting has guided me through many situations where I didn’t know how to process or navigate. It’s helped me process grief, anxiety, and overwhelm. There’s something about the act of creating that allows you to release what words can’t touch. I think there is something both very private about creating art and something so vulnerable and freeing in sharing the story.
That moment when something intangible—an emotion, a memory, a fleeting feeling—becomes visible on canvas. It’s like capturing the shimmer of a feeling and saying, “Yes, this matters.” I also love hearing how my art resonates with others—it’s a gentle reminder that we’re all feeling our way through life, one bumpy road at a time.
It started with a love of painting and a need to express myself. Over time, it’s grown into something more intentional: a way to connect with people, bring calm into their homes, and offer gentle moments of reflection—whether through original artwork, or more recently creative workshops. I’ve tried to be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances and the way my business works enables me to do that, scaling up and shrinking back when I need to. I still work pretty much full time alongside my art business so flexibility is key but I’m trying to build it slowly and intentionally to ensure when I feel ready to step into the world as a full time artist, I’m equipped with all I need to succeed.
I’m a mix of dreamy and determined. I love big ideas, but I’m also stubbornly persistent. I think empathy plays a big role too—being able to connect with people and create work that feels emotionally honest. Also: spreadsheets. Kind of my love language, simple but most definitely colour coded.
Some days I juggle like a circus pro. Other days, the balls are all on the floor and I’m making my 5th coffee instead. I try to build in space, take deep breaths, and remember that rest is part of the process. Honestly, it’s something I am not very good at and an area I would really like to focus on. I’ve also got a Tibetan Terrier who insists on being right next to me 24/7 and loves being out and about, which is perfect because I love being in nature—I find it grounding and so good for perspective.
My most recent collection, inspired by finding glimmers of hope in everyday life. It felt deeply personal but also really resonated with others. I poured so much of myself into those pieces, and it was beautiful to see how people connected with the stories.
Oh golly, there’ve been a few! Probably the moments of self-doubt when nothing’s selling and you wonder if you should retrain as a llama therapist or something like that! But each wobble has led to growth—either creatively or personally. I’ve learned that uncertainty is just part of the creative life.
I’d build a beautiful light filled studio with room for shared studio space, workshops, a little café filled with gorgeous mugs, coffee, plants and books on art. I’d invest in my own learning, collaborating with other creatives, and expanding my online offerings so more people can access calm through creativity.
Abstract art is definitely one of the more subjective forms of creativity… but that’s the magic of it. It somehow connects with emotions and thoughts on a different level, and in different ways for different people. It’s a great example of how creativity is good for our wellbeing and helping us process the less straightforward aspects of life. And Beth understands and expresses this so well.
If you’d like to see more of Beth’s artwork, or find details of her upcoming workshops, head to her website: bethelsdonart.com or find her on Instagram: @bethelsdon_art
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