From January 2017

“Lady In Pink” contd. painting by Bea Garth, a new paradigm shift emerging

Despite several  interruptions this last week given the goings on in the world, plus going to visit a wonderful friend in another town who had a poetry reading etc., I have finally gotten back to my painting “Lady in Pink” again. I now realize what all the pink is about, i.e., why both this and the other painting I did recently (Legs Like Leaves) have women featured prominently with all that hot pink!

“Lady in Pink” painting in progress by Bea Garth, copyright 2017

The fact last weekend’s  Women’s March was the largest march ever in the USA is heartening. Women and their male supporters marched (with their pink hats!) not only here, but also in 33 other countries.

I believe we are at the beginning of a new paradigm shift wherein the values of the patriarchy are just going to have to move  over. Greed and rampant egoism as well as “us vs them” thinking is destroying the planet, not to speak of our souls. There simply is no future in following that path any more.

We need to put aside our differences and learn to love or at least accept each other if we are going to heal the planet enough to have a future for ourselves and our children.

I believe creative and positive spiritual endeavors are more important now than ever to help sensitize and open us up to our feelings and what is going on in our unconscious. This can help us face who we are in a healing way and  help us see and appreciate the humanity in each other despite our differences. Thus empowered, we can become more able to finally perceive what is going on in the world without freaking out or going crazy-which will help free us to take right action to help save the planet. This is what growing a positive world culture is all about. Together we can do this; I know it in my bones.

“Wisdom” poem by Joan Dobbie; “Dreaming Underwater” pen and ink by Bea Garth

My friend Joan Dobbie just sent me this broadside she made of her poem “Wisdom” that she wrote for me, and one of my pen and inks (“Dreaming Underwater”). I feel very honored and seen. Thank you so much Joan!!

"Wisdom" poem by Joan Dobbie; "Dreaming Underwater" pen and ink by Bea Garth, copyright 2017
“Wisdom” poem by Joan Dobbie; “Dreaming Underwater” pen and ink by Bea Garth, copyright 2017

“Snow Still Here: Vancouver, WA” photos by Bea Garth

This last week we had more snow than I ever thought possible here in Vancouver, WA.  Previously when I lived across the river years ago  in Portland, we never had snow

"Our Snowy Street in Vancouver" photo by Bea Garth, copyright 2017
“Our Snowy Street in Vancouver” photo by Bea Garth, copyright 2017

so often or so deep. Last week we had over 12 inches of snow!!

Now here it is nearly a week later and its still here. Tomorrow it may snow again, then followed by freezing rain. We decided to go shopping for food before the roads become impassable again!

I have to chalk this up to Global Warming. Weather everywhere seems more extreme than it used to be. Of course we don’t have huge drifts. However the main problem here is that it does not snow enough to warrant getting snow tires for most people. We have chains, but driving around on them has to be kept to a bare minimum in order to not wreck the tires. Plus honestly its still dangerous. Now many of the main streets are clear, but the side ones often are still full of snow and ice. People are still getting stuck a week after our comparatively big snow.

"Snowy Front of House/Driveway" photo by Bea Garth, copyright 2017
“Snowy Front of House/Driveway” photo by Bea Garth, copyright 2017

Nevertheless, I am glad to be where we are. We have a warm, well insulated house, and live in a place where neighbors are actually neighborly. For instance when Chris was clearing the snow from the driveway, two neighbors came over and helped!

Plus to be honest, this snowy patch should be over in a week at the most. Unless all of us are wrong! Its not the same as living somewhere where it is snowy for months at a time.

"Side-deck Snow, Vancouver WA" photo by Bea Garth, copyright 2017
“Side-deck Snow, Vancouver WA” photo by Bea Garth, copyright 2017

 

“Lady In Pink,” contd. acrylic painting by Bea Garth

I added in the background and most of the pink, plus now have a yellow cat! More to do of course. But I got a lot of it blocked in.

My cat helped me by sitting on my lap.

"Lady In Pink" contd. painting in progress by Bea Garth, copyright 2017
“Lady In Pink” contd. painting in progress by Bea Garth, copyright 2017

She was actually transfixed by what I was doing, and finally attacked the painting with her paw!

Note: Please Click image to see a larger picture.

“Lady In Pink” underpainting on canvas by Bea Garth

"Lady In Pink" underpainting, work in progress on canvas by Bea Garth, January 2017
“Lady In Pink” underpainting, work in progress on canvas by Bea Garth, January 2017

This is my new canvas painting I am working on. It is inspired by an extremely small painting on watercolor paper  I did back in San Jose (about the size of a large card).

The idea is that she will probably be wearing pink and black, and likely has dark skin.  Though all this could change depending…

Obviously I am still working on the cat!! This time it won’t be brown. It will be a contrasting color… And yes I want the cat to feel alive with movement!

I often like to make an underpainting like this before I go ahead and paint the whole thing in color with all the shading, contrast etc. This way I make sure I get the composition worked out in a simpler state rather than have to remake the whole thing if I didn’t get it right.

 

“Legs Like Vines or The Dilemma of Venus” painting by Bea Garth

Happy New Year Everyone!!

I finally finished my acrylic painting  on canvas: “Legs Like Vines or The Dilemma of Venus.”

"Legs Like Vines or The Dilemma of Venus" acrylic on canvas painting by Bea Garth, copyright 2017
“Legs Like Vines or The Dilemma of Venus” acrylic on canvas painting by Bea Garth, copyright 2017

December was not an easy month for me, but I have come out of it feeling renewed. This painting is symbolic in some ways of that renewal, and certainly of my commitment to continue making other paintings!

This painting was in some ways an experiment to see if it might work for me to use geometrics and color more boldly in a painting. In some ways I was borrowing from some techniques I used in ceramics–such as making the rug square rather than recede into the background. I believe it really worked!

The painting expresses in many ways the dilemma between the male and female principle, as well as the continued attraction. Women are on the rise despite the outcome of the last election. Yet we continue to be entangled with men, who up until recently have been acting in many ways as our oppressors despite our love for them. It continues to be a  tricky situation.

My next step is to finish this other painting I have called “The Music Genie.” My plan is to finish it and then finally connect with some galleries here in the Portland area.