Mathis, Beverly S.

Beverly Mathis can't remember when she was not interested in art and teaching. She grew up on the south side of Indianapolis, and graduated from IPS#20 and Emmerich Manual H.S. After earning a Bachelor of Art Education from Herron School of Art in 1970, she fulfilled her childhood dream to be an art teacher, and taught 5 years at Keystone Middle School.

While keeping busy as a stay-at-home mom, Beverly continued doing a variety of art projects. Her second oil landscape was a mural for her church baptistry. She is her church’s Vacation Bible School Crafts Director for 48 years. She created an annual logo for an international missionary for 9 years, and designed 5 sweatshirts for the Whiteland Marching Band and Guard. She has worked as a substitute teacher, and still enjoys teaching her Grades 6-7-8 Sunday School Class for 47 years.

Her career as an artist reached a new level when she took watercolor classes at the Southside Art League in 1988 with Dave Tipton, and attended the workshops of many local artists. She has won awards at the North American Christian Convention, the Hoosier Salon, the Indiana Artists Club, the Richmond Art Museum Juried Exhibit, the Johnson County Fair, the Marion County Fair, the Indiana State Fair, the Brown County Art Gallery, the Brown County Art Guild, the SALI Regional Exhibition, the SALI National Abstract Art Exhibit, the Will Vawter Art Show, The Artesian Exhibition, the Johnson County Museum Art through History Exhibit, Irvington Presents, and T. C. Steele Paintouts. She has also been accepted into the Indiana Heritage Arts Exhibit, SALI National Fine Art Exhibit, the Hoosier Salon Pastel Show, the Herron Alumni Exhibit, and the 75 Miles in any Direction Contemporary Art Exhibit. She is a Cardinal Fellow of the Watercolor Society of Indiana. In 2002-03 she was the Artist-in-Residence for Clark Pleasant Schools. Her painting style features traditional subjects, details, textures, and clear colors, but she also can paint loose contemporary abstracts. Look for a scripture that she hides in some of her paintings.

Beverly has taught two Watercolor Classes at SALI since 1996. Supplies are available for beginners to rent for $3.00. Class demonstrations are designed to teach beginners basic techniques using a step-by-step approach to copy her sample painting. Those with more experience are encouraged to create original compositions. Students of all ability levels are welcome. Most paintings take 4-5 classes to complete. She can also help students with mat cutting and framing. The class fee is $12.00 per class.