I met Bette Prudden at her studio in order to look at some of her work. Bette is an energetic, engaging, older woman, who has been working as an artist and an art instructor for over 50 years. She works in a variety of materials, and there is a fair amount of work (30+ paintings) available to see here.
There were no portraits displayed when I was there, despite the fact much of her work was, and still is, as a portraitist.
Be advised that this is a working studio. It's not neat, and it's not laid out like a nice gallery. And it's in a very non-descript building on a neglected section of Mack Avenue.
She paints here. And holds classes here. Work happens here.
The day I was at the studio, there were a couple of her students there, and they had been pupils of Ms. Prudden for years. I didn't engage in anything other than small talk with them, as I was there to look at Ms. Prudden's work with an eye towards potentially purchasing a piece, so I can't comment on the instruction part of this business. I'm assuming that if it's been happening for decades, then they must be doing something right.
I'd advise calling before you get in your car and drive over - Ms. Prudden maintains a pretty active schedule, and the hours she's at the studio vary. read more