From the Studio: Recent Works by Susan Swartz

The Nature Revisited series marks the origin of a new phase in Susan's material explorations. Here, she imprints the paintings with various objects and tools to give a luscious, textured effect. Heavy applications of paint contrast with distinct, fine lines. In a soft palette of whites, yellows, purples and blues - textural impressions resemble flower stems, petals, and other botanical life.

Susan’s Celestial Blues series evokes the complex history of the color blue. Comprising of 12 paintings, the series recalls the depths of the oceans and vastness of the skies. Each painting presents a quiet moment of depth, stability and harmony.

“Forests  are the great subject of my career—the spectrum of colors that is created as light from different times of the day and year pass through the branches and leaves; the shadows they create; the look, feel and sound of wind passing through them; the architecture of their roots and branches. I love listening to the stories of trees. In Utah we have aspens we call “Quakies”. They stand firm and tall and have an interconnected root system—we as humans have interconnected root systems and we can stand firm and tall. We need to preserve our natural habitat to preserve ourselves.” — Susan Swartz

With the Solitude series, Susan finds respite from the riotous colors and intentional forms of her other collections. The Solitude series was conceived during quiet moments when her mind is at rest. Inspired by moments spent in quiet connection with nature, these paintings are a depiction of our role in the natural world and the power of what lies just beyond our view or comprehension. 

The Petals & Pollen series is a collection of small, yet intensely pigmented works on canvas. Inspired by Susan’s gardens in Martha’s Vineyard, the series is characterized by thick applications of paint and vibrant color. Susan finds inspiration from a close-up perspective of flower petals after a rain. The swirling motion reflects the abundance of petals toppling over each other and blooming in full.

Stemming from the Petals & Pollen series, the Nature’s Bouquet series is a study on floral arrangements, expressed through globs and drips of paint. This technique celebrates the dimension of the medium, and builds a sense of movement and depth. Instead of the thick swoops of paint seen in Petals & Pollen, Susan brings energetic movement to this series, as petals cascade across the canvas as if blowing in the wind.

The Emerging Bouquet series is a dynamic grouping. These intensely layered paintings combine sources of inspiration from Susan's other series: Nature Revisited and Petals & Pollen. For some viewers, they find balance and harmony in the textures and colors. For others, they see a liveliness bursting forth with the movement of paint. For Susan, each work is an authentic and vulnerable transparency of her inner psyche, her soul, her biggest fears and greatest joys that surround life and the natural world.

The Boundless Series is a selection of works that look to the future with an abundance of energy and movement. Each one is a way of envisioning the world better than it is - with more love and more beauty. While Susan's approach is abstract, the thick greens and whites are reminiscent of flowers flying in the wind or floating through water. Susan's has an impassioned reverence for the natural world. Her paintings are a way of seeking the infinite possibilities for how nature can inspire, unite, heal and restore us.

The Nature's Resurgence series is inspired by the beauty and majesty of nature. Reminiscent of clouds, oceans, gardens, and forests, the series reminds viewers to be active environmental stewards.

The Evolution of Nature series integrates mixed media with an acrylic on linen composition. Susan incorporates dried flora, herbs, and other nutrient-rich elements to create layers of texture and depth. These monumental works are an ode to Susan’s journey to healing. As the title suggests, they reference the evolution of birth, growth, and decay. To encounter these paintings is a multi-sensorial experience with their strong fragrance of spices and flowers and their dimensions that extend beyond the frame, into a sculptural realm.