Still Becoming: A Conversation with Bettina Nolle-Budka
There is something quietly radical about an artist who spends thirty-five years working in the shadow of art — organizing exhibitions, teaching art history, championing other people's creative practice — before finally stepping forward with her own. Bettina Nölle-Budka, who lives in the Bavarian countryside near Augsburg, did exactly that. It wasn't until 2024 that she allowed herself to enter the professional art world, though she had never actually stopped painting; it simply took her this long to claim the word "artist" for herself. Her portraits, threaded with bursts of abstraction, don't so much depict people as translate them — feeling rendered in color before it is rendered in form. "Art is the extended arm of my language," she tells Squint, and across this conversation, that idea unspools: in how she chooses her palette, in the classical imagery she reframes for the present, and in her refusal — despite years of pressure to specialize — to be pinned to a single style. What follows is a portrait of an artist still very much becoming, on her own unhurried terms.
First of all, thank you for accepting our interview invitation. Could you tell us a little about yourself? When did you decide to become an artist, and how did you first discover painting?
I am the one who has to say thank you for your interview invitation! I feel very honored! You want to know something about me and I have just asked myself, what could be interesting for you. Maybe this: I am German and I live in the beautiful Bavarian countryside near Augsburg with my husband and our two grown-up children. Painting has been an essential part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve always had a deep, intuitive urge to create, and as a child, I was constantly busy with all kinds of handmade crafts. Despite this passion, I initially lacked the confidence and courage to study art or design. No one in my family was involved in the arts; they were surprised by my interests and let me pursue them, but they didn’t actively encourage me. Consequently, I studied adult education, alongside several semesters of philosophy, psychology, art history, and European ethnology. For over 35 years now, I have been working at an adult education center near Munich. I don’t teach; instead, I organize cultural education - managing art history classes, craft workshops, and exhibitions. Throughout all this time, I never stopped painting for myself, regularly attending art classes and academies. It wasn’t until 2024 that I finally decided to step into the professional art world alongside my main job. My path has been rather unconventional. I am a bit of a loner, but this is simply my journey.
Your works carry a strong emotional weight and can be described as reflections of everyday life. What are your main sources of inspiration?
I really like, how you summarize my main concern! Reflections of everyday life! Yes! But it is also about reflections of the past. I enjoy taking well-known imagery and placing it into an entirely new context. It keeps these classic pieces alive while demonstrating how meanings can shift. A modern interpretation? Well, it’s my interpretation! Human beings, nature, and culture are my primary sources of inspiration.
We can see that you enjoy using color in your work. How do you choose your color palettes?
Great question! Many people assume I just love colors. I do, of course, but I never use them randomly. Whatever I want to express originates as an internal feeling. Or perhaps it’s the other way around: an emotion arises, and I feel compelled to express it. These feelings have distinct colors, and I follow that intuition. I often say, "Art is the extended arm of my language”. Words often fall short for me. Language forces us to express thoughts and emotions sequentially, word by word, one after another. A painting, however, offers so much more. When I look at a piece of art, there is a visual and a non-visual layer that you can see and feel simultaneously. I hope that makes sense—it is a bit complex to put into words!
We particularly notice abstract touches in your portrait works, which seem to have become part of your distinctive style. Do you use these elements to add more emotion and depth to your portraits?
Yes, absolutely. Those abstract touches are essential to my work and define my style when painting people. I am a very analytical person, but to create a good painting, I have to turn off my brain at some point. That is a real challenge for me, but it gives the artwork much more depth. On the other hand, creating a purely abstract piece—focusing only on color, structure, and non representational forms—is nearly impossible for me. Whenever I try, I usually feel unsatisfied and end up transforming it into a picture with a narrative or a figurative background. I can’t help it; it just happens naturally.
Which artists have influenced you or whom do you particularly admire?
Oh, there are so many! I love Renaissance art, the Expressionists, Impressionists, Cubism, Pop Art, and Street Art. My influences range from Botticelli, Dürer, Van Gogh, Franz Marc, and Paul Klee to Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Hundertwasser, and Banksy, as well as contemporary artists like Bernhard Vogel, Erwin Kastner, and the wonderful art lecturers I work with. However, to truly impress me, an artist just needs to be authentic. I especially admire art beginners who already possess a unique voice. It doesn't matter if they haven't mastered perspective or composition yet; some of them have a distinct stylistic element that permeates their work from the very beginning. That is beautiful to see. For me, finding myself was a long journey, and it’s a process that is still ongoing and maybe will never end.
What is your approach to painting? Do you usually make sketches beforehand, or do you prefer to let the process unfold naturally?
I actually do both. Some pieces require numerous preliminary sketches because I start with a very specific concept. Other times, I just start painting - or rather, making marks on the canvas or paper - without any fixed idea. It’s a way to soothe restless feelings and see where the process takes me.
Do you think the region where you live has influenced your art in any way?
I wouldn't say Bavaria has directly shaped my style of painting.
However, I love living here, and my surroundings naturally provide
constant impulses. That is why some of my pieces carry a distinctly
southern German influence.
Is nature a source of inspiration for you?
As mentioned earlier, yes—nature is an immense source of inspiration
for me.
What are your thoughts on contemporary art? Do you think artists should adapt to the times and keep up with the changing art world?
Good art is born from freedom, not conformity. The world changes, and art changes with it. You cannot force it; it always finds its own way. Naturally, we are shaped by the shifts happening around us, which provide fresh creative impulses. But the most important thing is to remain completely honest with yourself. For years, I struggled because I didn't stick to a single, easily recognizable style. Many people told me I needed to specialize. But I love experimenting, trying new materials, and exploring different techniques—whether it’s watercolor, acrylics, or oils. Now, I am mature enough to accept that this versatility is exactly who I am. The only constant in my work is the desire to find the truest possible expression for my thoughts and feelings.
What do you hope viewers feel when they encounter your work for the first time?
It would be nice if they stopped for a moment to see the beauty, the critique, the strength, the humour or whatever I wanted to express. I want to capture fleeting moments, frozen in an artwork, that delight the viewer or leave them contemplative. And if they see something entirely different from what I intended, that is perfectly fine, too.
What is the most challenging part of being an artist for you?
The most challenging part is gaining visibility. Painting itself is beautiful, but building a network, finding exhibition spaces, approaching galleries, marketing... those tasks require an immense amount of work. Yet, they are absolutely necessary if you don't want your paintings to just end up stored away in the attic.
What role does music, literature, cinema, or other forms of art play in your creative process?
I love music and enjoy playing my piano (though I’m not a particularly good musician!), and I am passionate about literature and cinema. All of these artistic expressions naturally bleed into my visual art.
Are there any new ideas, projects, or artistic directions you are currently exploring?
Oh, I have so many ideas! My printmaking is at a standstill, I want to go on to experiment with oil paint and wax, I want to do more experimental watercolor and of course I want to go on with portrait painting. My biggest problem is, that I do not have enough time. I am still working in my main job and my family needs me too.
Do you ever struggle with creative blocks? If so, how do you overcome them?
I think each artist knows these obstructions which can drive you to madness or make you cry. Best for me is to accept it and do something else (I’ve got a big garden which also needs attention…) or to try some techniques – playing with color without any intention or scribblings. I also keep a huge collection of unfinished pieces and sketches. I never throw them away, because sometimes, looking at them months later sparks a completely new idea.
Do you think social media has changed the way artists create and present their work?
Social media has undoubtedly transformed the way art is presented and consumed. Artists can now share their work independently, making it accessible to anyone on the planet. Visual communication is incredibly powerful because it transcends language barriers. How art dealers feel about this shift is a different story!) I don't believe social media changes the core creative process, though. It might lead to more copying, but to me, copying isn't true creation. I'm not afraid of my work being replicated. But there is a risk of artists showing only the curated, "perfect" highlights of their work, which can distort the reality of the process. Ultimately, social media is excellent for generating attention, but it can never replace the experience of seeing an original painting in person.
If you had to describe your art in one sentence, what would you say?
Frozen moments that make you smile, feel sad, happy or reflective and invites me into a wonderful, vibrant world of its own.
By the end of our conversation, it's clear that Bettina Nölle-Budka's late start was never really a delay — it was simply the time her voice needed to ripen. She paints the way she speaks: openly, a little restlessly, unwilling to force a feeling into a shape it doesn't want. Between a day job that leaves little spare time, a garden that pulls her outdoors when the canvas won't cooperate, and a growing pile of unfinished sketches she refuses to throw away, Nölle-Budka has built a practice that runs on patience rather than urgency. Oil and wax, experimental watercolor, more portraits still to come — her list of what's next is long, and refreshingly unconcerned with trend or timeline. For an artist who says her search for herself may never truly end, that ongoing search is precisely the point — and precisely what makes her work worth watching.
