While Juan Ponce de León spent his life searching for the fountain of youth, Betty Heller-Hobbs seems to have found it right here in Wisconsin Dells. At 93, her eyes still sparkle with mischief and curiosity. My husband and I visit her condo overlooking Lake Delton. Everywhere we look are vivid paintings, framed family photos, and reminders of a life steeped in creativity.

When I ask Betty the secret to living a long and meaningful life, she answers without hesitation. “Faith, love, and joyful goals,” she says.

She talks enthusiastically about her family and the excitement of expecting another great-grandchild any day now. One of her grandsons owns Fawn Creek Winery and, according to Betty, hardly considers it work at all. “He loves what he does,” she says with a smile. To Betty, that is part of the secret—finding joyful purpose.

And Betty found hers long ago.

She is one of the few local artists who still prefers oils over acrylics. “I like the colors more,” she explains. As for the mess and endless cleanup? Betty grins and admits she’s happiest when she has paint smudged on her fingers—and maybe everywhere else, too.

That creative spirit spills into every corner of her home. Betty leads us onto her balcony overlooking the lake. Even there, her artistic touch is unmistakable. A carousel horse she repainted stands nearby, decorated with tiny flowers she added to the hooves and trim.

Inside her studio, one piece especially captures our attention: a door-sized painting on rough barn boards. During what Betty calls her “clown phase,” she painted Emmett Kelly, the famous sad-faced clown. The clown’s mournful eyes seem almost alive. Like the smile of Mona Lisa, they appear to follow me as I move across the room.

Another painting catches my husband’s eye—a trio of expressive raccoon kits that look moments away from trouble. Their swirly wooden frame somehow adds to the piece’s playful mischief.

Then Betty shows us two landscapes she started only the day before. Mountains rise boldly across the canvases in rich blues and greens, while bright red flowers burst into the foreground.

Standing in Betty’s studio, surrounded by mountains, landscapes, family photos, and the watchful clown, I realize her paintings are more than artwork. They are evidence of a life lived with curiosity and purpose.

For years, the purpose also included her involvement with Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center, where her husband, Jack Heller, served as director for fifteen years. Betty helped wherever she was needed and taught art classes there. Several of her paintings still hang on the center’s walls, quietly welcoming visitors.

Back in 1973, Betty helped establish the Dells art association, which eventually blossomed into the beloved Wo-Zha-Wa Days art fair. Unlike many art fairs, its purpose was not simply to sell artwork, but to give back to the community.

Over the years, Betty and other artists also sold arts and crafts at The Barnboard Shop near the Lower Dells boat landing and later at Heavenly Creations, housed in the historic building that is now The Brat House Grill. Betty played a role in helping to save the building, which has a beautiful stained-glass window, from destruction.

When I mention that one of my earliest art purchases was a landscape Betty painted on a saw blade, she laughs. “I’ll paint on anything that doesn’t move!”

Maybe that’s Betty’s real fountain of youth—the ability to laugh, remain curious, connected, and creative. At 93, she is still beginning new paintings, still contributing to her community, and still finding beauty worth sharing.