Getting To Know Betty

Excerpts from "Art From the Heart" article, featured in 2008 Tradition Magazine:

When Betty Lynn Grodnitzky lost her husband, Stan, in 1989, she found herself unable to do something she had loved since childhood. She could no longer sing. The deepest of depressions overcame her and her voice was quiet. “The melody had gone from my heart and I became unable to sing,” Grodnitzky said.

She remembers a short time after Stan’s death when her daughter, then an adult, gave her a doll that had no clothing. She asked her mother if she could make the doll a dress. Grodnitzky took some fabric and made a dress and other items. Then she picked up her daughter’s tube of paint and began to let color flow on the remaining fabric.

Images Emerge

She spent the next few years painting up to 18 hours a day. “Almost as a child, I groped for a way to express what lay buried in my heart beneath my grief,” she said. She painted symbols of Judaism and images of the land of Israel, which she loves deeply, but about which she could no longer sing. In a way, she said, the painting became her therapy.

“From the ashes of widowhood came this beautiful art form. I know this was a gift from God.” Most paintings take months to complete, others have taken an entire year.
Tragedy struck Grodnitzky again in 1996, when her daughter committed suicide. This time, the artist dove deeper into her painting.

It was around this time when she went to the mikveh, the ritual bath, where a rabbi gave her a Hebrew name, Bracha-Shira. Translated, it means blessing and song. This is the name she uses when she signs her artwork. “It is well known that some of the most beautiful music, poetry and art have emerged from the soul of mankind while in the midst of pain and tragedy,” she said. “Such is the story of my art. I believe this with every ounce of my being.”

“One’s art is deeper if that one suffers.” (Author Unknown)

(Through the encouragement of a Holocaust survivor, Betty would sing again.)

Combining Music And Art To Create Videos

Excepts from the Jewish Times article:
She sings, she paints, and she works around the clock to make sure everything she does meets her own standards of perfection. Meet Betty Grodnitzky, known to many by her Hebrew name Bracha-Shira. Her home in Pikesville is filled with detailed paintings, posters and other works of art depicting Israel that could easily be displayed in a museum.

Grodnitzky’s newest project is a series of 10 videos that are a collection of prayers for Israel and one that is a prayer for the United States. “I was not trained in this video avenue, but my thought was, why don’t I take this music, the artwork that I’ve done and put it all together?” she said.
The newest work is a three-minute video entitled “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem,” which is a collage of images ranging from iconic sites such as the Kotel and Temple Mount to moving images of rallies for Israel from around the world.

Grodnitzky’s paintings also appear in the video. It is set to a song by the same name from her first album from more than 30 years ago, with her appearing in a shiny, golden dress. All videos can be seen on You Tube and on this Website under “MUSIC”.

Excerpts from JMore Magazine article “Artist/Author Reveals Her Special

Relationship With The Animal Kingdom”, written by Anna Lippe.

Animal lovers know full well that a furry companion can raise our spirits

and lift our hearts. Betty Grodnitzky found an animal friend in the most unlikely of creatures – a deer on the lawn outside her residence, whom she named Bambele’.

“I first saw Bambele’ through my kitchen window in 2014, recalls

Grodnitzky, an artist who goes by her Hebrew name of Bracha-Shira. Her

beauty captivated me. She became a major portion of my life and changed

my life. Grodnitzky, whose husband Stan died in 1989, began

photographing Bambele’ and other area creature friends, in an attempt to capture their beauty and wonder. She took these photographs and self-published two books: “Bambele, The Gift of Love, Wrapped in Fur” and “Getting to KnowBambele’s Furry and Feathered Backyard Friends.” She will sign copies of the books on Sunday, Oct. 21, at Barnes & Noble.

Grodnitzky says her experience with Bambele’ makes her feel particularly

connected to her daughter, who died in 1996. She wrote extensively about

her daughter in her books. “She had a very special gift of being able to

relate to animals,” she wrote.

In addition to her books, Grodnitzky’s art is currently featured among

works by 36 artists in the American Visionary Art Museum exhibition, “Parenting: An Art Without a Manual,” Her portion of the exhibition explores the pain of losing a child and her experience finding comfort and solace from an animal companion. Included in the exhibition is a card written to Grodnitzky from her daughter. “The exhibit was an emotional experience for me. Rebecca Hoffberger (the AVAM founder and director) allowed me to bring honor to my daughter.” The exhibition was emotional not just for Grodnitzky but for AVAM visitors as well. “Numerous people, with eyes filled with tears, came up to me and thanked me for telling the poignant story of love for my family and love for the animals,” Grodnitzky says.

Hoffberger can’t lavish enough praise on Grodnitzky and her artwork. “The

losses that Betty has had are so very significant,” she says. “You would

assume she lives at the edge of a natural forest because of the great variety

of wildlife, flora and fauna she sees.” “She is a self-taught photographer.

The wonder that she has captured touched my heart.”

Even through devastating loss, Grodnitzky keeps her heart open to the

wider world. “Prayer is a large part of my life. I pray for people and animals.” “I’ve lost so many members of my family,” she says. “I remember hearing what I refer to as an inner voice, saying, ‘Betty, now go make the world your family’ And that’s what I have done.”

The Goal of The New Project

Surely, many of you have seen television advertisements making viewers aware of the daily suffering of incalculable numbers of children. Whether their problems be physical, mental, or emotional, it is virtually impossible for the heart of the onlooker to remain ‘untouched’ when looking into the eyes of these precious children. Being aware of the comfort and joy that animals can bring, to children of all ages, when pain and fear invade life, I have presented myself with a goal to help bring smiles of joy and healing to hurting children.

Believing wholeheartedly that our talents are gifts from G-d, and we are given the choice how to use them, I see the opportunity to use the present phase in my life, together with the talents entrusted to me, to bring blessings to others beyond myself. The unusual display of wildlife that G-d has brought into my life has been a source of healing and joy to me personally. I see thousands, if not millions, of children who would benefit, breaking into smiles of joy, when viewing photographs of the animated animals and birds displayed in my two most recent books. The unusual images are also a means of teaching important fundamental lessons pertaining to both ‘character’ and ‘basic learning’. Unlike drawings or cartoons, seeing actual images of the animals and birds, helps the children to recognize and respect the variety of wildlife that surrounds us.

Below are a few examples of the animated images, together with the teachings, which are found in the new Early Learning Books. More can be seen on the “BOOKS” page. If you have a suggestion to help me reach the goal, please feel free to contact me.

Parting Words of Hope and Promise

“It shall surely come to pass...”

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;

And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the serpent’s den.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the L-RD, as the waters cover the sea.”

(Isaiah 11:6-9)

“They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isa.2:4)

“Everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid.” (Micah 4:4)

Pray for The Peace of Jerusalem. Those who love her shall prosper. (Ps.122:6)

May Messiah’s Coming Be Ever Near! Amen

Shalom

With Heartfelt Gratitude and Appreciation

To Jason Rollings, who, with utmost kindness and the patience of Job, labored endlessly with me, doing the ‘technical work’ in helping me create this wonderful website. My gratitude is beyond words.

To Friends and Family who have stood by me, with encouragement and support, helping to sustain me through many difficult years during this journey of life. My heartfelt love and gratitude.

To my Precious Mom and Dad, without whom I would not be here, nor been able to make my personal contribution to ‘tikun olam’ (my part in helping to repair this world). My undying love and gratitude.

Above all, my eternal love and gratitude to Hashem, the source of my life and the strength of my life. Amen

Betty Lynn Grodnitzky (Bracha-Shira)

My favorite quotation:

"To Be The Servant of God Is Man's Greatest Boast." Philo

[ “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, nor let the rich man boast in his riches; but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I AM the L-RD, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the L-RD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24]

Betty G. Artiste - Bracha Shira

Getting To Know Betty Page 2

Publication of My First Book

Combining Music And Art To Create Videos

Years Of Wildlife Photography And Authoring Many Books

Special Relationship With the Animal Kingdom

American Visionary Art Museum Presentation

Above presentation about the loss of Betty's daughter, and the comfort found in Bambele’ and other animal friends was featured as part of the American Visionary Art Museum exhibition about “Parenting”.

WMAR-TV Interview: “The Gift of Love, Wrapped In Fur”

Bambele’ Book Signing Events at Barnes & Noble, 2018

Bringing Smiles of Joy and Healing to Myriads of Children

The Goal of The New Project

‘Early Learning Books’ Guaranteed to Bring Smiles

“The worth of a child’s smile is immeasurable.” Betty Grodnitzky

Parting Words of Hope and Promise

With Heartfelt Gratitude and Appreciation