Betsy & Blapsy—the two sides of Hetty Baynes-Russell

Published: 11 November 2012
Reporter: Sandra Giorgetti

Blapsy blows, by Hetty Baynes-Russell

Betsy and Blapsy—Life and Times is a new exhibition of thirty-five autobiographical paintings by actress Hetty Baynes-Russell.

The exhibition's title derives from the two sides to her personality as she has imagined them over the years: extrovert Betsy and introvert Blapsy.

A ballet prodigy, Hetty Baynes-Russell moved from dancing to acting in her mid-teens. A busy stage career has seen her perform with Edward Fox in Inadmissable Evidence at The Royal Court Theatre and with Maureen Lipman and Lionel Jeffries in Theatre of Comedies’ See How They Run. She has also worked on radio and television, most recently Footballers' Wives and The Hour.

Two decades ago she married film director Ken Russell, with whom she also worked as co–writer including on Alice in Russia Land in which she played Alice.

Hetty is working on an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck College London University where she previously achieved a BA in Philosophy. She also has a Fine Art degree at Central St Martin’s.

Betsy & Blapsy—Life & Times is at The Strand Gallery from 14 to 24 November.

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