Betty Refour

Oklahoma City

I am a contemporary abstract and figurative artist. And the caregiver for my sister who has autism and is also an artist. I love color and texture and consider myself self taught, although I have a degree in Fashion Design. I had been a freelance illustrator for years, but had not painted. Then in 1995 I was injured during turbulence while working a flight. I was off work for almost a year. And about 4 months in I was stressing over what I would do if I could never work again. My doctor suggested I paint as a form of therapy. I’ve been painting ever since. And my work can be found in private collections around the world. My sister and I started drawing on notebook paper as children. She’d draw and write on my homework. And I’d be upset. Then one day it occurred to me she was actually writing words. She is mostly nonverbal so I have no idea at that point how she knew how to read. She had not attended any program. She apparently picked it up from us reading to her. She got her own notebooks and my typewriter and we started drawing daily. She is also an internationally collected artist.