About
Born and raised in Zurich, Switzerland into a family of art lovers, Fiona Bechtler-Levin found her artistic voice through a circuitous route. Beginning with her introduction to mid-century modern art through her collector grandparents, she took inspiration from their passion for art, and the artist behind each piece created a rich tapestry of stories and impressions that influenced Fiona throughout her life.
Fiona rekindled her interest in the visual arts and completed the UCSD Creative Arts Certificate. Inspired by the beauty of nature, Fiona plays with different combinations of light, color, and texture. She draws on subjects found close to her home by the beach, the mountains of Switzerland, and travels around the world. The mixed media pieces often begin as a photograph or as a watercolor based on a photograph. The iterative layering of these mediums and the addition of collage or acrylic is her preferred creative method.
Fiona earned her business degree in International Management from Georgetown University and enjoyed a career in consumer products marketing in Europe and the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to San Diego where she focused on raising her two children. During this time, education became a passion of hers. Together with her entrepreneurial husband, she was a co-founder and board member of Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad. Fiona was also a founding trustee of the Bechtler Museum in Charlotte, NC. More recently, while living in London for a few years, Fiona received her ESL certification and enjoys tutoring students through the UCSD EIA program.
Fiona enjoys traveling the world and learning new languages, being in the ocean, practicing yoga, biking, hiking, skiing, and spending time with family.