Renaissance Woman

Beth O’Donnell’s commitment to wellness is beautifully expressed in art, photography, and by founding some of America’s first holistic spas.

Beth O’Donnell in her studio, with husband, author Paul Shaverson.

From her abstract landscapes to pioneering America’s first holistic spa, from her photography book on Africa to finally creating her dream home, Beth O’Donnell is a wellness trailblazer who continues to inspire by pushing beauty and hope to the forefront. “I’m not the kind of artist who is going to create a purely political body of work,” says O’Donnell. “I’m very concerned with the planet and the environment, and my emphasis as an artist is on beauty and nature. That’s how I inspire hope for the future.”

Her creativity has taken on many forms over the years, including founding an award-winning spa, Miraval, in Tucson, Arizona, which pioneered wellness tourism (and popularized the hot-stone massage) in the 1990s. O’Donnell has always been motivated, both personally and professionally, by self-empowerment. The acclaimed addiction facility she also built, Sierra Tucson, was a place of healing and rebirth. However, her heart was always with the artists, whom she supported locally through galleries in Arizona and Aspen.

Interior designers Bernt Heiberg and William Cummings consulted with O’Donnell and Shavelson on the home’s electic decor, where natural elements combine with artifacts from their travels. Their all-black dream home is located on 8 acres on Larkin Pond in East Hampton.

After years as an art patron, Beth became a student, studying at The International Center for Photography in New York City. In 1999, O’Donnell traded in the city streets of New York City for the acacia trees of Africa. She spent two months trekking through the slums of Kibera to produce the book Angels in Africa, a collection of photographs highlighting the efforts of women working at the grassroots level to deal with crisis. Her talents were recognized by everyone from Oprah to The Daily Telegraph to The Financial Times. “Suddenly,” she says, “I was a photojournalist at 50.”

Three years ago, O’Donnell and her partner, author Paul Shavelson, purchased their dream home—8 acres of rustic charm on Larkin Pond in East Hampton. With advice from Beth’s good friends, interior designers Bernt Heiberg and William Cummings, she and Paul transformed the farmhouse into a chic forested oasis. The all-black house (inside and out) contains treasures collected from her global travels, from the mixed-media mural given to her by Peter Beard to the beaded chairs picked up on a trip to Gabon.

“As I’ve developed as an artist I’ve wanted to create more bohemian surroundings that speak to me. I feel my home and my collection of objects from my travels around the world reflect this. Each time I go to a country, I collect a piece of wood. I like that it is a living thing, and I can bring that energy into my home.”

Today, she and Paul spend time together in the art barn, where Paul writes his third novel as Beth works on her new series of abstract landscapes (done using encaustic wax mixed with rich pigments) on Japanese rice paper. Beth’s work often incorporates a mixed media of photography, wax, paper and oil paints. Their other ritual: daily meditation by the pond.

“I’ve created an environment that supports mindfulness, which is something I’ve embraced and practiced since my 40s,” says O’Donnell. “I believe in the power of positive thinking and the ability to manifesting it to bring about change. The world is full of beauty; it remains my constant in my life and my art.”

Beth O’Donnell takes studio visits by appointment (studio@bethodonnell.com).

By Alexandra Polier • Photography by Dane Dupuis