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Area
artists Marti Pratt and
Betsi Burgess
Buford
artist creates fantasy world for homes, businesses
By Pamela A. Keene
 You
may not know her name, but if you’ve eaten at any of Laurie
Attaway’s restaurants in Buford, you certainly know her work. Artist
Mari Pratt, who specializes in murals and portraits, is the creative
mind behind the whimsical murals at Third Coast Grille, 37 Main,
AquaTerra and Attaway’s newest Bella Vita.
But Pratt’s murals are only part of the story. When
she was 5 years old, she began sketching and drawing on anything
flat, from phone books to scraps of paper. “I’ve just known all
along that I was supposed to be an artist,” said Pratt, who grew up
in Baltimore, Md., and has lived in Buford for the past 25 years and
was one of the original artists along Main Street 15 years ago.
She fondly recalls the art parties in downtown Buford
when artists would get together with lots food and the public would
come to buy. “We sold lots of art,” she said. Today, Pratt works
mainly on commissions: the murals she paints for interior designers
who decorate private residences and business owners such as Attaway;
portraits, mostly of children that are commissioned; and a bit of
faux work, adding textures and patterns to painted walls.
She has worked with interior designer Tracy Cook of
Design Etc., who decorates model homes for builders across Atlanta.
Her most recent murals are showcased in Deerfield Green in North
Atlanta, built by Bowen Family Homes. The downstairs flex space has
been turned into a men’s retreat with stylized figures on the walls;
the powder room features a tree design.
Each summer she takes on an art assignment for
children, mostly teaching summer classes at Brenau. This summer she
worked with youngsters to draw giant life-sized portraits. However,
last summer, she worked with the City of Atlanta at the Police
Athletic League to create an 8-foot by 38-foot mural in the boxing
area with a team of 30 youngsters. It was the largest mural she has
ever created.
“I really like to work on a large scale,” she said.
“At the very least, I’ll work on a 24-by-30-inch stretched canvas,
but it’s the minimum. I’ve done several 5-by-5-foot pieces, but
they’re hard to transport.”
Over the years, like many artists, Pratt’s style has
evolved. She attended five colleges, graduating with a degree in
fine arts from Brenau. In those days, she painted pictures of people
and while she still does portraiture, her style has branched out to
include the whimsy murals and a bit of dabbling in landscapes. In
addition to her two-dimensional work, she and artist Michael Dixon
created the 3-dimensional animals suspended from the ceiling at
Third Coast.
Pratt describes herself as free-spirited and her
painting style as Impressionistic whimsy.
“The favorite part of painting is bringing all the
colors alive on a flat surface, the whole process of the
creativity,” she said. Her unbridled creativity keeps her work
fresh, and she doesn’t start with a smaller sketch on a grid when
painting murals.
“The work just comes out,” she said. “My murals are
freehand and I really like the freedom of jumping up and down off
the ladders and working bigger than life.”
‘Yard Art’ show, classes featured
at Flowery Branch shop
By
Pamela A. Keene
 Get
a behind-the-scenes look at the whimsical “yard art” created by
regional artist Betsi Burgess when Sample Pleasures Antiques and
Collectibles Shop in downtown Flowery Branch hosts classes and a
sale of her works on Saturday, August 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Betsi’s art is so incredible and it’s a joy to have
her showcase her works and teach classes for us,” said Janet
Upchurch, who owns Sample Pleasures on Main Street. “We’re taking
the whole side of the building where there’s a garden and showing
her works there. It will be a fun day.”
Burgess, who splits her time between Flowery Branch
and St. Petersburg, Fla., paints large-scale art on cement board
using acrylics that are water-proof and weather-proof. Colorful
tropical flowers, including hibiscus and amaryllis, landscapes of
palm-graced beaches and art featuring brightly hued tropical birds
distinguish her style and reflect her positive, upbeat and outgoing
personality.
“In the summer of 1967, I discovered the wonderful
gulf side village of Pass Christian, Miss.,” Burgess said. “After an
adult lifetime pursuing career and family interests, my husband John
and I retired in 1992 to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Soon we opened Botanica, a home and garden shop in
‘the Pass,’ which offered a variety of items including my hand
painted furniture and yard art.”
Unfortunately, 2005’s Hurricane Katrina destroyed the
Burgess’ home and shop, so they relocated to Flowery Branch, where
John is very active in the sailing community and Betsi continues her
painting. She enjoys painting all year, spending winters in Florida
and summers in Georgia.
 “The
theme of my art has always been ‘beachy,’ tropical and botanical,”
she said. “I aspire to capture the feeling of Florida in the ’40s
and ’50s.”
The show will take place rain or shine. In addition
to her art and teaching, Burgess will offer her classes on a DVD for
purchase.
Upchurch, who has long been a businesswoman and
supporter of the arts in Flowery Branch, said that she hopes more
artists and galleries will return to downtown and Main Street.
“There are so many talented artists in this area and it’s great to
have an outlet for them to show their work,” Upchurch said.
For more information, call Burgess at 770-965-6352 or
visit her website at
www.FloridaDreamPainter.com. You can also reach Sample Pleasures
at 770-967-5585.
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