Born in a 19th century house on Johnson Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. As a child, she looked up at the ceilings in the dining room, with its carved squares and crown moulding. She noticed the fireplace made of pink marble with its hand carved mantle above it. She was truly inspired!

This inspiration and influence continued on walks to school at St. Madeline Sophie on Green Street past the old Clivedon Estate and, especially on trips down Germantown Avenue to the library in Vernon Park, past colonial and gothic architecture. "More inspiration"

She also chased down the mailman anxious to see the latest Norman Rockwell cover on the Saturday Evening Post. He mother took her to visit the Shrine of Chelten Avenue where more observing took place

"I use to sit on the cream colored marble steps at the altar of the big church while my mother lit small candles. While the people sang and said prayers, I would look up with awe and wonder at the painted ceilings, hand painted stain glass windows, and carved marble statues. I fell in love with the idea of how anyone did all that. I wanted to do something like that; I fell in love with Art."

Many years later she rented a small studio in Haddonfield, NJ where she taught herself to draw and paint, and use a camera while she simultaneously raised five children. Today they are grown and doing their own 'art thing' developing talents in architecture, crafts, oil painting, woodcarving, and computer design. She is very proud of them all.

Bette has exhibited her art extensively in various shows and galleries. And, for a period of time, owned and directed the Lahr Gallery in Haddonfield, NJ. Her works, including mediums of French watercolor, pastels, pen & ink, and fine art photography, hang in corporate and private collections in Philadelphia, South Jersey, Washington, DC, and many other cities around the country.

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