Get to know the Artist

Welcome to Amborela!  I’m Bethany Ogle, the artist creating the paintings available at Amborela and Amborela’s Etsy shop.  I also design surface patterns for fabric and wallpaper at Spoonflower.

When I started painting the unique style of Amborela art in 2008, I also fell in love with planting a garden behind my small studio in Iowa. You can see the influence of my garden obsession in the abundance of floral themes and nature inspired designs.

Birds! Feathers! I’ve been testing out ways to adapt impasto to create feathers.

I also started working with a new wax pigment medium. It creates a lovely translucent effect.

At Spoonflower I am designing whimsical prints for boys and men’s clothing.

Some Amborela paintings feature hand-crafted fabric flowers by artisan, JujaCrafts. Since 2010, she has made custom flowers for Amborela that are sewn onto the painted canvas.

Whatever works! I do a lot of testing with acrylics, inks and wax. I make reference books of ripped off canvas from tests that didn’t work until I find a way that does work.

But if I have to categorize and label…  impasto, sculptural painting, alcohol drop acrylic, India ink drawing, and more, more, more.

See what I’m up to on Instagram!  I share “everyday art” created in the spontaneous life of gardening, baking, and snowman making. Also see behind the scenes into the creative process as I test new materials, tools, and techniques.

Follow amborela on instagram

Get color palette ideas for your décor with room boards curated by Bethany.

Compare canvas sizes, colors, and 3D flower options to help you find or customize the perfect painting for your space.

I’d love to help you find the perfect painting for your space. If you have questions, comments, or need a size quote, let me know.

Need to discuss custom art options? It’s ok if you don’t know where to start, or if your idea will even work. I can step you through your size and color options and even create a mock-up of your idea. 

My Favorite Mistakes

Paint Blow Out

My favorite “mistake” is when I tried blowing paint with an airbrush and covered myself and surrounds with multicolored splatter. I cried like a baby over the mess when it happened. But it made me more daring to test new ideas knowing I could survive things not going as planned.

Art Fall Out

After art school I actually gave up on art and got a degree in liberal arts. I tried to study and work without art, but the need to create can be like a compulsion. When I finally started Amborela, it was with more commitment and a broader world view because of my detour. 

Pattern Left Out

Sometimes simple is better than an overly busy pattern. But I only learned this from leaving a pattern layer in Photoshop hidden when I saved my smart object and it disappeared revealing a simple, lovely pattern. Now in my editing process, I always ask “what if I made this simpler”.