BIO
Bethany Pile was born in Barbados and lives and works in London, England. Bethany graduated from the University of Toronto in 2016, completing her undergraduate studies in Fine Art. Upon her return to Barbados she began honing her distinctive realist painting style where she creates paintings that combine contemporary teaching with inspiration and imagery from her home in Barbados. The immediacy of the vivid colours are in contrast to the subtle and painstaking brushwork; a process that underpins her pictorial language and adds a compelling disquiet in an often disconcerting approach to subject matter.
A central theme of Bethany’s work is the Caribbean Sea in its many forms. Using drone-captured aerial perspectives from across Barbados, she explores the dynamic interplay of light, texture, and movement on the ocean’s surface. Her work often captures the lives of Bajan fishermen and skippers, offering a glimpse into the daily rhythms of her homeland. Layer upon layer of oil paint builds the sea’s shimmering surfaces, conveying its shifting moods and beauty.
In 2024, Bethany completed her PGCE in Art & Design at University College London, qualifying her to teach art to secondary school students. Balancing her time between teaching and painting, she finds each practice enriches the other, fostering a creative synergy that informs her approach to both art and education.
I explore my surroundings in Barbados, combining new perspectives with familiar Caribbean imagery and aim to engage the viewer with my high level of detail and vivid colours. I try to translate the photograph into something tangible using realist painting techniques.
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Bethany Pile was born in Barbados and lives and works in London, England. Bethany graduated from the University of Toronto in 2016, completing her undergraduate studies in Fine Art. Upon her return to Barbados she began honing her distinctive realist painting style where she creates paintings that combine contemporary teaching with inspiration and imagery from her home in Barbados. The immediacy of the vivid colours are in contrast to the subtle and painstaking brushwork; a process that underpins her pictorial language and adds a compelling disquiet in an often disconcerting approach to subject matter.
A central theme of Bethany’s work is the Caribbean Sea in its many forms. Using drone-captured aerial perspectives from across Barbados, she explores the dynamic interplay of light, texture, and movement on the ocean’s surface. Her work often captures the lives of Bajan fishermen and skippers, offering a glimpse into the daily rhythms of her homeland. Layer upon layer of oil paint builds the sea’s shimmering surfaces, conveying its shifting moods and beauty.
In 2024, Bethany completed her PGCE in Art & Design at University College London, qualifying her to teach art to secondary school students. Balancing her time between teaching and painting, she finds each practice enriches the other, fostering a creative synergy that informs her approach to both art and education.
I explore my surroundings in Barbados, combining new perspectives with familiar Caribbean imagery and aim to engage the viewer with my high level of detail and vivid colours. I try to translate the photograph into something tangible using realist painting techniques.
View CV
Bethany Pile copyright 2025