Beth Ames Swartz at Cline Fine Art

"I hope that by exposing people to the beliefs of others and by showing the interconnectedness of one belief system to another, each of us may experience a common compassion."--Beth Ames Swartz




If you are anywhere near Scottsdale, AZ you should get to Cline Fine Art to see the exhibit of Beth Ames Swartz new paintings.

She has had a long and distinguished career as you can see at her website http://bethamesswartz.com , but this latest work looks like it may be the best yet. She combines graceful and lyrical gestures over very rich backgrounds. This exhibit is like an encyclopedia of what acrylic can do. Her surfaces are vigorous and multilayered. She magically paints like a lumberjack and ballerina at the same time.

For an artist several paintings in this show beg the question, "How do you know when a painting is done?" I try to find a state where the picture works for me. To borrow from Chinese principles (ChiYunShengDung), the moment that it has the breath or movement of life. Pretty vague, but when you paint enough you know this moment. A number of works in this show are simpler or stopped sooner than most. And yet, they are as complete as any of the others, showing there is indeed plenty to learn from this master.

In you can not get to the show there are a few images at http://clinefineart.com Follow the Scottsdale branch. Today, it is under upcoming exhibits. I won't put in a direct link because, this will probably change to current exhibit soon and into archives later.