To be, or not to be

Ronnie Beets was born in Fortaleza, Brazil and adopted as an infant by a family in east Tennessee. His upbringing was traditional and Southern Baptist. Modern art and culture were never big topics in his household, but Ronnie loved drawing and always felt compelled to create. His paintings exude the undeniable influences of Cubism and Abstract masters like Picasso and Chagall while remaining fresh and original.
A high school art teacher prompted Beets to pick up a brush for the first time. Even though Ronnie informed his teacher that he was not a painter, she informed him that his next assignment was to be a painting. He completed the piece, a female mannequin torso, tea kettle, and a bundle of flowers in brilliant yellows and blues. In this fledgling effort, Ronnie’s signature style and love of painting were born.
After high school, Ronnie went on to college to study art education and quickly realized that he had no desire to teach.  Easel in hand, he left college and set out on the noble path of the ‘starving artist’ with that original brightly painted woman at his side, as she remains to this day.
"I have chosen to live a life consumed by Art. I trust it and believe in it for my survival and growth. The day that I decided to completely dismiss the notion of the 'Starving Artist' was the day I became free to become my greatest Self. And I will strive forward within that realization for the rest of my life." ~Ronnie