Stephen Bethel is an accomplished artist and yogi. He obtained his art education at Yale University, where he also discovered his affinity for yoga. After spending several years in the dynamic New York art scene of the 1970s, he decided to settle in rural New Hampshire with his first wife to start a family.
In this new environment, Bethel embraced the rustic lifestyle, heating his farmhouse with wood and becoming skillful with a chainsaw in the surrounding woods. Many of his recent sculptures originate from his response to rambles through the nearby forest. With the help his brother and neighbors, he constructed an art studio, developing building skills in the process. To support his family, he and a close friend established a drywall and plastering business, which flourished for two decades. It was during this time that he learned the technique of integral plaster, a pigmented plaster that now features prominently in his artwork.
As Bethel settled into his rural homestead, he also embarked on organic gardening, gradually transforming his backyard garden into a small-scale organic farm. He began supplying local co-ops and restaurants with his produce. Simultaneously, his yoga practice deepened and evolved, leading him to become a yoga teacher. In 2005, he and his partner opened the Bethel Farm Yoga and Living Arts Center. Over time, the center expanded to include a retreat facility, and it has recently transitioned into a non-profit organization dedicated to education and spiritual development.
Throughout his journey, Bethel has embraced the responsibilities of co-parenting seven children. Despite wearing many hats, he has remained committed to creating visual art for the past fifty years.