Colors for a Cause

Color for a Cause

by Maggie Bokobza Cover Artist Becky Fos

WHEN BECKY FOS first picked up a palette knife, the self-taught artist was simply trying to relieve stress. While balancing life as a new mom along with a career and going to school, painting became her outlet. But as she began sharing her work online with family and friends, the word spread and, before she knew it, people were asking to buy her work. She says, “It was truly a hobby that turned into a career through lots of trial and error, practice, learning and growth.”

Anyone who sees Fos’ work can understand immediately why her pieces are so admired. Her use of vibrant color and rich texture evoke an uncontrollable sense of joy in the viewer. “Happiness is a major component of what influences my work. It may be a little cliché, but the honest truth is that I paint subjects that make me happy.” Her use of the entire rainbow in depicting local wildlife >>

and landscapes gives the viewer a boost of endorphins just by looking at them. “Everything I do is rooted in inspiring happiness, and it’s a whole lot of fun!”

Another major component of her work is her technique, which she has honed over years of practice. She says, “I paint almost every day, and with every application of color, I learn something new about my tool. With every painting I create, my style evolves slightly. When you compare my early work to my current work, you can see my growth.”

When Fos sits down to create a new piece, she enters another world that is all her own. “I sit at my canvas and put on my magical goggles,” she says, describing her process. “I almost enter a form of paint hypnosis. I see highlights and shadows in vibrant hues of color. It’s a process I have struggled to put into words my entire career.” But the results speak for themselves. Her unique style is not achieved just from her use of undiluted oil pigments, which lend a deep vibrancy to her colors, but also her use of one tried-and-true tool.

“Paintbrush, what’s that!?” she jokes. “I have one palette knife that I have used for years—it has many layers of dried paint on it and is worn in some areas from use.” But for Fos, her palette knife must be the right fit. “I only had one knife before this one,” she explains, “but it was chewed up by my dog.” On that sad day, she decided to go out and buy as many palette knives as she could find and then compared them all to find just the right one. Like Cinderella and her glass slipper, finding the perfect fit allows Fos to create magic.

Fos also chooses to mix her colors

directly on the canvas, creating a deep texture, or impasto, on her works. She says, “Artists often use the palette knife and a palette to mix the paint. I omit that step. This allows me to leave the thick texture that has become very iconic to my style. Sometimes the paint projects up to two inches from the canvas.”

Her palette knife was one of the items she knew she needed to take with her as her family evacuated for hurricane Ida. Fos saw the devastation taking place in her beloved city. She says, “It was heartwrenching.” So, in the midst of the hurt, she immediately ordered an easel and paint supplies to be delivered to her temporary home. It was there that she created this month’s cover piece, Strength Through Tribulations.

“With the widespread power outages across South Louisiana, I kept dreaming of power lines,” she says of the time following the storm. The piece translates a topsy-turvy feeling into something relatable. “While the content and composition may remind us of scary times, I hope the colorful nature inspires hope and strength, because there is beauty even in darkness.” This hope comes, according to Fos, from the outpouring of support the community saw from neighbors helping neighbors, building back what was lost. In this spirit, she knew she had something to contribute.

“I have a unique opportunity to use my talents to support and create awareness in our community. I struggle to be passive. When I see an opportunity to help, I jump at the cause,” says Fos, explaining her decision to host a fundraiser for the community. She and her team quickly mobilized to sell prints of Strength Through Tribulations on her website to raise funds for the most heavily impacted communities in Terrebonne and Jefferson parishes.

This is not the first time Fos has used her talents for a good cause—but she places the thanks she receives squarely on her loyal community. “I’m thankful to have such great supporters and collectors; without them, I would not have had the same impact. I use my art to create awareness, but it’s my collectors who support the cause. Together, we have raised funds to help fallen first responders and their families, to bolster employee morale for medical professionals in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to support Hurricane Ida Relief for communities most affected. These are causes that are close to my heart.”

Gallery B. Fos is located at 2138 Magazine St. in New Orleans; 504444-2967; beckyfos.com.