Billups Fine Art Maintained by:   billups_fine_art( 17) Welcome to my Store. Billups originals: plein air & figure paintings, life drawings and signed prints. Original art up to 60% & 80% off, regular gallery prices. All can be special ordered as canvas or paper giclee reproductions. For further information, please feel free to contact the artist. About the Seller

Back to previous page  Beauty can Heal the Soul and Body! In 1986 Denise Burns, Founder of Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA... the "grandfather" of the plein air movement) asked Billups to do one ad for their up coming show. Billups said she would, provided they did an ad campaign...and so for the following 10 years, Billups created a minimum of 3 ads a month, promoting plein air painting, thru out the country, and the world! Going back a few years from that, in the summer of 1977, Elizabeth Jean Billups (AKA Betty or Betty Jean) had her first one artist museum show at the Montana Historical Society in Helena. This exhibit was the direct results of doing research for a U.S. Army commission that she received, to create a painting of Sacajawea. And this commission came about because the Army had seen a painting Billups had in the U.S. Air Force Art Collection. The painting was called "The Nightingale", and depicted the C-9, a medical plane. The exhibit at the museum was titled "Inner Feelings" and was the sole reason Betty returned to a fine art career, with the heaviest amount of work being created "en plein air". Plein air painting is created on location, with all the elements: sun, wind, tides, and time, affecting that which is being depicted in a painting...thus forcing the artist to work quickly and observantly...in order to capture the essence of a scene, before, and even while, it changes! The trip into Idaho and Montana at that time, also brought her back years later, to live on a 200 + acre ranch, and eventually move into the mountains, to a tutor style cabin on 10 acres in the wilderness. Being surrounded by nature at every view, doing plein air paintings became almost as easy as breathing! MAJOR ART EVENTS Since 1985 Billups has participated in the Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA) week of creating plein air creations on Catalina Island, and then exhibiting these paintings at the Casino Ballroom. The reputation of this fine group grew with the added efforts of Billups being their Ad Chairman for the first ten years of the groups existence. 1996 saw Billups as one of a dozen artists invited to work on the world renown Murals in Toppenish Washington. She was personally commissioned to create 17 windows depicting a turn of the century bordello, viewed in a second story historic brick building. She has been one of twelve artists, that has been chosen to be one of the "Quick Draw Artists" who create finished paintings, in a given 40 minutes, that are auctioned, and benefit the C.M.Russell Museum. One of the four years that she received this honor, her creation of a Louis and Clark buck skinner went for $1600. In 2007 she was commissioned to create a 6x16 foot mural for Mount San Antonio College, in Southern California. The entire landscape of the mural was created "en plein air", the clouds were brought to life, using 15 different cloud studies that had been created over the years, and the foreground Eucalyptus trees were created from 3 weeks of photographic research. As a direct result of this Mt. SAC mural, she was offered a one artist exhibition, which show cased over 150 original plein air and figurative creation at the campus gallery, in the fall of 2007. INSTRUCTORS OF INFLUENCE One of her most beloved instructors from the prestigious Los Angeles Art Center College of Design, was Joseph Morgan Henninger. He and his beloved wife, Danica, became Betty's life time art and personal supporters and friends Another instructor from LAACCD, was a very dear and caring artist-teacher, Reynold Brown, who did many of the old Movie Posters of renown, like Ben Hur. Reynold greatly influenced Billups with his passion and concern for his students...and gave them the "burn" to go beyond what they believed they possibly could! Reynold and his beloved wife Mary Louise became greatly loved and cherished personal friends of the artist.With Reynold's passing, Mary Louise and Betty have remained in close contact over the years...and Mary Louise herself has returned to the fine art field with great creations of her own! Also at the Los Angeles Art Center of Design, she studied with Don Putt Putman, who introduced her to the magnificent world of color! And his enthusiasm and passion for painting sparked the soul of adventure in her! Ten years after graduating from ACCD, she finally met Dan McCaw, whose work she had admired since the mid 70s. When she first came to study with Dan, she mentioned a painting he had done back in '77 that she had seen at the Pepper Tree Show...that she drooled over....to her surprise that same painting had just been shipped back to Dan's studio!! And is now in Billups collection!!! The years of study with Dan at his studio greatly enhanced her style, which had always been rather loose. For years, every gallery she was in, encouraged her to "tighten up" so they could sell her work. She couldn't, or wouldn't, being true to what was in her heart....that which is observed in her work today, both in the studio and with her plein air paintings. Then finally around the mid '70s, "A Day in the Country", a major museum exhibition caused a major influence with American artists: to loosen up!!! Finally, her work became more acceptable!!! Listings To protect bidder privacy, when the price or highest bid on an item reaches or exceeds a certain level, User IDs will be displayed as anonymous names. For auction items, a bold price means at least one bid has been received. Note: Anonymous names may appear more than once and may represent different bidders. Messages from visitors! Item Start End Price Title High Bidder/Status 160298751813 Nov-14-08 Dec-09-09 12:57:23 $425.00 Plein Air Oil Painting-Sunset/Ocean-31669 BJ. Billups Available 160298781106 Nov-14-08 Dec-09-09 16:43:57 $595.00 Impressionism Plein Air Oil Painting #1723 B.J. Billups Available 160298781723 Nov-14-08 Dec-09-09 16:51:08 $225.00 Plein Air Oil Painting 31166 IRELAND B.J.Billups Available 160298795897 Nov-14-08 Dec-09-09 19:10:48 $295.00 Impressionism Plein Air Oil Painting #3024 B.J. Billups Available 160298799995 Nov-14-08 Dec-09-09 19:49:36 $295.00 Impressionism Plein Air Oil Painting #31762 B.J.Billups Available 160298949795 Nov-15-08 Dec-10-09 16:13:23 $95.00 Romantic L.E.P. signed/numbered by B.J. Billups Available 160298951136 Nov-15-08 Dec-10-09 16:26:28 $35.00 Native American - Family of Medicine Horse~ Billups Available 160299388221 Nov-17-08 Dec-12-09 14:29:16 $295.00 Impressionism Plein Air Oil Painting #31370 BJ.Billups Available 160299389694 Nov-17-08 Dec-12-09 14:38:59 $575.00 Plein Air Oil Painting SUNSET #1358 B.J.Billups Available 160299390944 Nov-17-08 Dec-12-09 14:48:37 $295.00 Impressionism Plein Air Oil Painting #3037 B.J. Billups Available Go see all current items for sale by this member. FeedBacks User:graycatantiques( 745)  Date:Oct-31-09 22:41:00 PDT Praise: Great seller to deal with, painting even more beautiful in person, thank you!!!! User:racegoer1( 161)  Date:Oct-12-09 11:08:43 PDT Praise: Absolutely beautiful piece; great rapport with seller; quick delivery! A++++++++ User:h857bncx24( 517)  Date:Sep-25-09 14:36:58 PDT Praise: Wonderful book. A great way to own paintings when your walls are full. User:h857bncx24( 517)  Date:Sep-25-09 14:36:58 PDT Praise: This painting is exactly what I wanted, rich, deep, lovely. Thank you so much. User:h857bncx24( 517)  Date:Sep-25-09 14:35:03 PDT Praise: This is a beautiful painting of light, corral, trees, life. Very very wonderful User:549alex6100( 961)  Date:Aug-04-09 18:31:31 PDT Praise: Really fabulous print, thanks!!! User:sagarvillas( 439)  Date:Jul-27-09 01:42:13 PDT Praise: Very nice indeed thank you so much AAA+++! User:sagarvillas( 439)  Date:Jul-27-09 01:42:13 PDT Praise: Wow what are print thank you for your trouble AAA+++! User:549alex6100( 961)  Date:Apr-30-09 11:35:24 PDT Praise: An excellent and highly collectable drawing, thanks! User:549alex6100( 961)  Date:Apr-30-09 11:34:29 PDT Praise: Even nicer in person than in the photos! User:artifactory101( 454)  Date:Apr-16-09 19:41:41 PDT Praise: I like this book alot! thank you. User:36finches( 1 )  Date:Mar-29-09 13:02:16 PDT Praise: Love book, great illustrations, easy to understand, & fast shipping User:36finches( 1 )  Date:Mar-29-09 13:00:50 PDT Praise: Love the book, great illustrations, well done, easy to understand & great s&h User:grovecreek1946( 315)  Date:Feb-26-09 14:56:13 PST Praise: Excellent EBay Seller. Great Items. Superb Communication. Recommend. A+A+A+A+ User:bloomed41( 2 )  Date:Jan-15-09 18:33:37 PST Praise: Gorgeous ! Beautiful paintings, very expressive, moving, with lots of feeling. User:ragsrose( 161)  Date:Jan-14-09 17:10:51 PST Praise: BEAUTIFUL PAINTING!!! 5 STAR SERVICE!! WOW!! THANK YOU!! A++++++++ User:cannolishells( 5 )  Date:Jan-10-09 08:29:58 PST Praise: I would highly recommend this book for plein air and studio painters. User:flags!( 592)  Date:Jan-07-09 08:26:45 PST Praise: Beautiful keychain. Helpful Seller. A++++ transaction User:wgoding( 114)  Date:Jan-06-09 18:37:49 PST Praise: Very helpful. Thankyou User:mntangrl( 8 )  Date:Jan-04-09 08:36:51 PST Praise: Beautiful book. Happy with all facets of this ebay experience.Recommend seller. User:mntangrl( 8 )  Date:Jan-04-09 08:36:51 PST Praise: She is a fine artist.I was lucky to find her on ebay Professional in her dealing User:mntangrl( 8 )  Date:Jan-04-09 08:36:51 PST Praise: I love her jewelry and will buy more.Transaction went well, would recommend her. User:mntangrl( 8 )  Date:Jan-04-09 08:28:44 PST Praise: Sale was satisfactory, pleasant experience.Loved getting her work at great price User:6542lauren( 13)  Date:Dec-24-08 09:54:23 PST Praise: Wonderful service and a delightful experience To see all feedback for this member, go to the Member Profile page.

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