Meet Anthony Moreno

“I think it is important to learn to laugh at ourselves and not take life so seriously.” -  Leah Hairston - Black Sheep Bettie

Party

 By Violet Kirk

Leah, you had mentioned you were a hairstylist for many years, because of this field of work you ended up developing Carpal Tunnel and had to have surgery. Not being able to continue with this   career you decided to go to college. In school you found a love of photography and had doors open providing another opportunity.

How did this substantial change in your career make you feel?
To be completely honest I was terrified. I was a single mother and all a sudden I had no idea what I was going to do to support my daughter and myself. I knew I had to do something to better my life and my daughter’s. I knew the best way to do that was to further my education so I decided to go to college. It was extremely difficult and financially I could not afford it. I was lucky enough to receive some Pell Grants, but I also worked extremely hard and received three academic scholarships. After a lot of perseverance I finally graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts.

What do you consider the pros and cons of changing your career as this is your dream job?
Working as a full-time artist is my dream job. However it is also extremely difficult. Especially when it is your only means of income and you have a family to support. You have to be extremely prolific with your artwork and self-motivating. As a professional artist you are self-employed with means you have to do everything. Promoting your work and getting it out there for the public to see and want to purchase is all up to you. It’s not a job for someone who wants to live a rich or even comfortable lifestyle. The pros are that you get to do what you love, and the cons are the lack of financial security.

Tart

Can you remember the 1st​ photograph you took that captured your heart? I don’t think it was really a photograph that intrigued me but the process of creating that I love. I have been an artist since an early age. I have always loved to be able to express my thoughts and feelings in a visual manner. I think what I loved most about photography was the magic of seeing my vision come to life in the darkroom.

Before you became a full-time artist, you’ve worked on the other side of the art world at a Fine Art Shipping and Handling company working with artwork for museums, how was that experience? Working at a Fine Art Shipping and Handling Company was very interesting. It is a side of the Art World that you don’t learn in school. I was trained as an art handler, so I was taught how to properly pack or crate fine art work to ship it properly. I was also taught how to install artwork properly. I would have to say working with all the Museums, Galleries, and Private Collectors was also a learning experience. I meet a lot of interesting and intelligent people; however, the entire experience was too corporate for me.

You now work with oil pastels and photoshop. Is there a piece of artwork you are most proud of? Why? I really can’t choose one piece that I am most proud of, however I would have to say that “Twerk” was the piece that received the most attention from viewers and confirmed for me that I hadn’t lost my creative ability. I want the viewer to enjoy and relate to my artwork and with “Twerk” I knew that they did.

Spark Up Your Make-Up

What is about the oil pastels medium that attracts you? My father was an oil painter when I was very young. He had a set of pastels he would let me play with while he would paint. I loved the hands on feeling you get from pastels. You can draw and paint with them easily. I worked with them a lot in High School too. I only use Sennelier Oil Pastels. They are the creamiest and smoothest pastels I have found and leave a real oil paint, velvety appearance. I have worked with many different mediums throughout my life and I always end up going back to oil pastels.

Where does the name Black Sheep Bettie come from? I can’t help laughing but honestly, it’s because I am the Black Sheep of my family. The eccentric, crazy one that no one understands. It used to bother me but as I have grown older and wiser I have come to not only accept it but learned to love that I have never and will never be a follower. It’s important to always be true to yourself and live your life in a manner that makes you happy. Bettie comes from an old boyfriend, I was dating when I was very young, who gave me the nickname Bettie because he thought I looked like Bettie Page. It’s also because Bettie Page is my favorite Pin Up model and I use her in my work more than any other model. I decided recently to “Brand” myself. My name is not an easy one to remember and since I have been trying to get in the Art Market aspect of the art world I have noticed that a lot of Art Market artists use either a Brand name, nickname, or Alias to help people remember them and their artwork. In addition, I plan on moving to New Orleans in a couple of years and I plan on someday opening my own little art gallery. I think Black Sheep Bettie will be a fun name for a little art gallery.

Black Sheep Bettie

Your artwork represents the empowerment of women can you please elaborate? Women are always being either exploited or oppressed by their sexuality. Both by men and other women and I think it is ridiculous and shameful. I feel that we should be able to express ourselves in any manner we desire. Women are sexual beings and there is nothing wrong with expressing it. We are also intelligent, creative and just as powerful as men. I don’t think we should allow anyone to exploit or oppress us for any reason. I feel my work empowers women to not be afraid to be who they are and who they want to be despite what others will think about or say about them. I also think my work allows women to laugh and joke about the stupid labels and stereotypes that are forced upon us by the judgmental and idiocracy of society. So, call me a Tramp or Tart all you want, I don’t care, I’m going to enjoy my life to the fullest and express myself whenever and in whatever manner I choose and I feel all other women and men should do the same.

Connect with Leah Hairston: Black Sheep Bettie