Momence Artist Looks at the Big Picture
Bette Dionne says she is most happy just after completing a painting that she considers a work of art.
Dionne, who signs all of her works by the name B. Gilbert Dionne, has been selling her fine art for many years, and more than 300 of her pieces now hang in homes and businesses throughout the United States. The Momence resident has been drawing since childhood and finally turned professional in 1988 at age 50. She says her most inspirational time to paint nowadays is the early morning.
“My home and studio are located on the bank of the Kankakee River, so I get inspired by the river along with many other Midwest landscapes,” Dionne says. “I develop motifs from the water, the prairie grasses, the farmers’ fields and the four seasons. I might take a drive in the country one day, then paint the next day until I finish six individual pieces. I truly have a passion to paint.”
Dionne and her husband, Gene, also owned a fine dining café in Momence for many years until it recently closed, and Bette says the café was an ideal place to showcase her artwork.
“It seems like people who like upscale food and fine wine also appreciate art, so I sold a lot of my paintings to local residents and tourists who frequented our café,” she says. “Now that the café is closed, I schedule gallery openings at my home on various Saturdays, plus have 50 of my works posted on my Web site, www.dionnesgallerycafe.com.”
Dionne has painted with watercolors and acrylics throughout her life, but her favorite medium is oils. She says oils are more interesting to work with, providing more vibrant colors and everlasting images.
“As for my favorite painter, I guess I would be most inspired by Matisse because he painted with such vitality,” she says. “His finished works were full of life, which is something I always strive for in my pieces.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
