Visitors to the Artists’ League of Big Bend’s (ALBB) Summer Annual exhibition at Tallahassee State College will find one of Bev Sipos’ favorite subjects hanging on the gallery wall: her daughter.
The pastel portrait in ALBB’s Summer Annual, “Jumping for Joy! Reflecting Light in Dark Times,” captures a quiet moment of movement as Sipos’ daughter dances.
“She’s always been my favorite model,” Sipos told me as she walked me through her lovely home/studio where artwork by herself and other artists covers the walls – including countless portraits she’s done of her daughter over the years.Sipos’ entire home is set up with the intention of steady access to artistic creation.
She has two easels with in-progress artwork set up in her living room, boxes of pastels laid out and organized by color, reference photos pinned up and neatly stored in filing cabinets nearby, her own matting/framing shop in her garage, and of course a comfortable spot nestled amongst it all for her adorable standard poodle, Cooper. “If I see my work, I work on my work,” she says.
A creative life built around art
An artistic practice has always been part of what defines Sipos’ and the way she moves through life. Growing up in Denton, Texas, surrounded by two major universities, she knew she wanted to pursue art professionally and applied to (and was accepted to) just one college solely because of its strong art program: The University of Illinois.
It was there, in 1962, that she met her husband Les, after he walked up to her in the student union and asked what time it was. “Life has these funny little coincidences,” she reflected, noting the similarities between how she met Les and how her daughter later met her own husband.
Les, a political refugee from Hungary, built a career as a pharmaceutical chemist and consultant, while Sipos earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing from Illinois State University and balanced raising a family with teaching and maintaining an active studio practice.
The couple eventually settled in Decatur, Illinois, where they lived for more than three decades. Throughout those years, Sipos remained remarkably adaptable, estimating that she held nearly 50 different jobs. “I held about 47 different types of jobs, which I think is very typical for artists,” she laughed.
Her work history includes teaching art and math, instructing adults and seniors, illustrating educational materials, coloring comics for Marvel, drafting for construction companies, and countless other part-time and temporary positions.
She even drafted the plans for the home she and Les built together in Illinois. In 2013, Sipos and her family made their way to Tallahassee in search of warmer weather and more like-minded creatives.
Finding inspiration through exploration
During her early career, Sipos found a successful artistic career in portraiture. “I went through I don’t even know how many Bridge Clubs” and got to know the people who could afford to buy art in and around Decatur, Illinois. She still continues to do some portraiture on a commission base and of her family, or of people who she finds interesting.
Around 5 years ago, this included a personal series of some of the nurses and doctors who graciously took care of her husband – individuals who Sipos noted she will always be thankful for.
While portraiture defined much of her early career, Sipos began expanding her work into landscapes through watercolor in the 1990s. Watercolor was an important part of her practice for many years, but she eventually shifted much of her focus to teaching herself the medium of pastel. After a gallery that represented her in Illinois told her they did not sell many watercolors in the Midwest, Sipos dedicated time to teaching herself the new medium and quickly fell in love with its possibilities.
A practice without limits
Today, pastel still remains one of her favorite mediums to work in. “The colors are so rich because the pigments are pure,” she explained as she demonstrated her process of using alcohol to wash and blend the pastel for the start of an underpainting. Her home studio reflects this constant movement. Sipos is almost always working on more than one piece at a time, evidenced by the multiple works in process surrounding her from every angle.
Sipos also continues to explore other creative mediums. She has a beautifully pure excitement about learning and challenging herself in the field of art. Her eyes brightened as she described her explorations and love of ceramics and jewelry making, and her desire to learn welding.
Over the years, Sipos has learned not to limit herself to one single medium of artistic process. Instead, she approaches creativity with an openness and curiosity that has guided her throughout her entire life as an artist.
With this, however, Sipos does have a few qualities of her work that make it inherently “hers.” For example, Sipos is intentional about keeping her portraits and landscapes separate. It would detract from the details of the landscapes and the personalities of the people.” All of her work is also connected by a distinct sense of line quality and blending, coupled with a unique ability to capture detail and light.
Whether capturing the expression of a loved one or the intricate details of a landscape, she brings the same patience and curiosity to each piece. That thoughtful approach, paired with a lifetime of experimentation and adaptability, continues to shape her work today.
Whether she’s painting a loved one, experimenting with pastel, creating ceramics, or framing a finished piece in her garage, Sipos’ lifelong commitment to making art is evident in every corner of her creative life.
If you go
What: Artists’ League of Big Bend 2026 Summer Annual Jumping for Joy! Reflecting Light in Dark Times
When: On view through Aug. 28; Open to the public Mondays through Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m.
Where: Tallahassee State College Fine Art Gallery, 444 Appleyard Drive
Cost: Free
Contact: 850-201-9889 | Barbara.Cohenour@tsc.fl.edu
Sam Joslin Mueller is the Public Art & Exhibitions Manager for the Council on Culture & Arts. COCA is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (tallahasseearts.org).
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Creativity guides Bev Sipos to push artistic boundaries
Reporting by Sam Joslin Mueller, Special to the Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sam Joslin Mueller, Special to the Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
