About Betsy Boyle Harper, Portrait Artist

Welcome to The Boyle Gallery. Located in beautiful Pawleys Island, South Carolina our gallery is home to original works by artist Betsy Boyle Harper. We invite you to take a few moments to browse through our Portrait and Landscape galleries.

Betsy Boyle Harper has enjoyed drawing and painting for as long as she can remember. Her mother Deloris Boyle is a well-known portrait artist and encouraged her interest in art from an early age. "As a teenager, I sketched portraits of my friends and received my first 'commission' to sketch a portrait of my English teacher's daughter." Instead of pursuing a future in art at that time, Betsy ventured down other paths, majoring in math in college and then pursuing careers in banking and real estate.

However, at 30 years of age she finally began to study art seriously and decided to specialize in portrait painting. "It was not my plan - but God's. I studied with my mother for months and soon began receiving commissions. It has been a wonderful adventure that continues to this day." Betsy has completed more than 400 commissioned portraits. She has enjoyed the opportunities to travel and meet so many interesting people.

In recent years, Betsy has invested more time in her landscape painting. "The beauty of the wildlife and low country almost demands that I paint it. For instance, I was kayaking one day and had the opportunity to get up close and personal with a beautiful blue heron who posed for at least 10 minutes. How could I not honor his patience by painting his portrait?" Betsy loves to delight visitors to her gallery with stories of the places and birds she has painted. "I am absolutely amazed by the beauty of the area in which I am blessed to live. I never tire of painting it."

Betsy is a member of the Portrait Society of America. She resides in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.