Here’s my new painting “Pink Cross” I finally completed late this May 2020 just before the world erupted. It was inspired by a pen and ink and went through several changes, since I kept changing the colors. I just couldn’t get it right. In each attempt there was something I learned and some color or effect I kept. Originally it was called “Gallery of Miscreants,” however the color changed the meaning fairly substantially. Now I don’t know what it means to tell the truth except they aren’t necessarily miscreants, rather perhaps its a family, whether one’s personal family or simply the family that is called Humanity. And is one’s family a “cross” we each must bear? perhaps to enjoy even so. So interesting what goes on. I certainly didn’t consciously choose pink, golden yellow, baby turquoise blue and lime green, but they chose me…
“Pink Cross” painting by Bea Garth, copyright 2020, acrylic on canvas
NOTE: Jordan Clark and I will be giving an Artists Talk Sat. night Feb. 24th, 2018 from 7 to 8 PM — with folks gathering at 6:30 — over at The Gallery at Cerulean, 1439 NW Marshall St., Portland OR, PH: 503 308-9137.
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I have a bevy of paintings @ ‘The Gallery at Cerulean including my newest, “The Music Genie” you see below. I welcome those that can come hear us and see our work. The show is up through Feb. 26th. It is well presented with both my work and that of Jordan Clark harmonizing with each other by means of color and shapes–though his work is frankly boldly abstract and mine figurative.
The Cerulean is both a wine bar and art gallery on the edge of the Pearl district in Portland.
The Music Genie by Bea Garth 30 x 30 copyright 2018 acrylic on canvas
The Music Genie was inspired by my husband who was in one of his reverie’s composing music. The watery depths in the background and the ghost like Genie to his right show him exploring his musical imagination of harmony and inter connected feeling.
I finished this painting just in the nick of time with putting in final touches just moments before putting the painting in with the rest before my husband drove off with them to take them to the gallery the day before the exhibit. Fortunately acrylic dries quickly with the aid of using a hair dryer! I had pulled an all nighter and had to crawl into bed–satisfied but curious as to how it might be received.
I finally finished my new painting “Discovering Joy.”
“Discovering Joy,” acrylic on canvas by Bea Garth copyright 2017
My paintings are a lot like dreams where everything gets mixed together–thus the surrealist edge. For me what I am after is an exploration of the unconscious that helps me realize what it is I am feeling and thinking of underneath.
In this case it was and is the joy of experiencing summer after a difficult winter earlier this year. It got me to remember joyful times in the past such as swimming in Mexico when I was seventeen. I remember swimming in the warm waters off of Guaymas and being thrilled by all the fish! And yes I loved being on my own with my sister and enjoying the Latin culture.
I think my trip to Mexico as a teen reminded me of my early childhood when the boy I played with next door had parents who were from Spain. I was in love with their music and dancing and very different approach to life to that of my family. I was sorry when we had to move away.
This painting mixes experiences since quite obviously I am not a red head, nor did I even have a boyfriend at age seventeen except perhaps in my imagination.
I am thinking of visiting Mexico again sometime soon when I get the chance. I bet it will help foster a whole new series of paintings celebrating life!
I am nearly done with this painting. Just needs a bit more shadow and other little fudging. I have had some delays finishing it, but now am on it again. This painting seems to express the dilemma of the feminine principle going through a rebirth in the world. She wants her male counterpart to participate, but is having some trouble getting that point across…
“The Dilemma of Venus” painting in progress by Bea Garth, copyright 2016
Its been a rainy Thanksgiving so far. Plenty of chance for me to work on my painting! Though today I was able to go out for a walk before it started raining again. I wore my poncho just in case!
This painting is changing before my eyes. I am really uncertain what I will call it. How the pillow or rock/Mayan Calendar (!!) turns out will affect it quite a bit, of that I am certain.
Legs Like Vines, painting in progress by Bea Garth copyright 2016
I still have to work on the male figure quite a bit, it needs the definition shadows bring. I also need to finish the edging around the carpet.
And yes I do like the carpet. The rectangles and triangles are subtle but effective. They echo the Calendar symbology nicely.
This piece is kind of blowing my mind, such as it is. Not at all what I expected! But that is the fun of painting for me–I let my unconscious come through and have free reign.
I had a dream last night that suggested I put in roots around in the blue area, but today am uncertain that would be right for this painting. Maybe the next one? Might be too busy and unnecessary. However I will play around with it and see if it could work or not…
Here it is on the eve of a very significant presidential election in the USA. I have been feeling the energy and used it by starting the rough for a new painting today. For some reason I am feeling whimsy out of it all!! Count me as crazy or what given the issues at stake.
Right now, as I look at this underpainting, I like the pillow. It feels very Toltec or Mayan to me. Hey, is that “pillow” actually symbolic for the Mayan Calendar?? The woman in back is looking down at her partner with a quizzical look. She seems to be in a quandary expressed by one of her hands on her head. She almost seems to be saying with her free hand and the right box like angles of her arms: “Careful! Go no further!” Whereas the man is looking confident–as if saying “I am the Man!” while he is about to tumble playfully onto the pillow. Uh, well, maybe this is about the election after all??!! And maybe the Mayan 5th Sun??
This painting may become one of my more playful pieces. I kind of think of human appendages sometimes as being like vines and flowers, and really see that in this piece with the wave like cross hatched assemblage of legs and feet.
Legs and Feet Like Vines, underpainting by Bea Garth, copyright 2016, acrylic painting in progress
This is just the rough underpainting. I decided to paint the “drawing” with a brush directly on the canvas, rather than draw it in with a pencil on paper (or even on the canvas). I like the spontaneity of working like this. This is how I worked with my ceramic sculpture for years –directly on the piece.
You may not realize it, but I often try to get the body shapes and expression just right even though everything is distorted and elongated. I thus shifted the legs and feet around a few times, and also worked similarly on the torsos and faces til I felt I got it right. I used a wet brush to erase lines when I could, and overpainted dried lines with a mixture of white and reddish brown when necessary.
I like to get the underpainting more or less right before I proceed with the rest. Its important to me since I don’t have anything else to refer to but my imagination and the canvas I am working on when I am painting. Getting the basic composition right helps create an understructure for my imagination to work with, even if I end up changing a few more things in the end.
Question is, what kind of understructure will we have as a result of this election? No one knows right now, but all that will change in just one more day. Just be sure to participate and vote. It will make a difference in how you feel, as well as in the issues of this all important election.
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