I am a poet, visual artist (ceramic sculpture, drawing and painting) and editor. My art has become more and more surrealistic and in its way, Goddess oriented in philosophy (i.e., nurturing of the planet and each other plus honoring the spirits and symbols from the unconscious, metaphysics etc.) with a good dose of the Surreal. I focus on exploring feelings and body language many of us might otherwise miss. The art of relationships is a passion of mine, between us humans and the creatures around us, as well as with the Earth itself. I find art to be very healing, and it is this fact that really drives me. I also enjoy sharing art, poetry, social and political philosophy, and an interest in ecology and nutrition/health with others. I have thus created a progressive online magazine (Eos: The Creative Context) where like minded people can share their work.
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
Here’s my new painting on a large sheet of watercolor paper I call “Desire.” And yes it does often seem like there is no longer any privacy, however the thing is to enjoy oneself anyway when one can–and not let it get in the way!
“Desire,” acrylic painting on watercolor paper by Bea Garth, copyright 2019
This is a pen and ink I made recently that pretty much describes what my cat might think about all the goings on that I have had to untangle here in San Jose.
“Keiko’s Dream,” pen and ink by Bea Garth, copyright 2019
I have been having to learn how to cope with overcoming chaos of late, due to part of my family’s neglect and active destruction of the cottages I renovated for many years. I believe it is symbolic of the degeneration of this area.
Homelessness and drug use has become very common. It seems worse here than many other places given the hopelessness many feel due to enormous rises in the cost of rent as well as everything else.
“The Devil’s Lair,” watercolor and ink on paper by Bea Garth, copyright Oct 2017
Normal everyday people now live in their cars or in homeless camps, or live off the generosity of their friends. High tech people flock here from all corners of the world while service people are being forced out due to rising rents. Even the police can’t afford to live here any more, which makes keeping the peace even more dicey.
This rapidly decaying situation seems symbolic of the erosion of the planet. We badly need to take a stand to care for each other and stop this needless destruction by doing what we can wherever we are.
The beast seems overwhelming, and in many respects is. However we are not helpless if we reach out to each other and reconnect with our inner spirit. Spirit is larger in my opinion than any destructive force, no matter how dire it seems.
I just recently started work on this new painting which I am now calling “Bringing Her Back To Life,” by Bea Garth, copyright 2018. Its for a show I will be participating in this September called “Stories We Could Tell” at The Cave here in Vancouver, WA.
“Bringing Her Back To Life” acrylic painting in progress by Bea Garth, copyright 2018
Of course I have plenty of stories in my paintings, but this one is calling to me given my recent health crisis that became a crescendo the last couple of years. Fortunately my broken wrist is healing and is becoming stronger and more flexible with each passing month. Ditto with my knee. In addition, I have gotten clues studying genetic snps that have proven to be very helpful regarding dietary advice. That plus taking Maca and Ashwagandha is making a positive difference with counteracting some of the effects of underlying Lyme Disease that I have been struggling with the last few years.
Fortunately, I am in the process of bouncing back. I am nothing if not doggedly persistent looking for and finding remedies. That and, of course, the Painting Gods are healing me. I honestly often feel a direct connection with the healing powers of the Earth and Sky (represented here by a couple of their emissaries in this painting), especially when I am in my creative element.
I have more to do with the painting of course. Basically it is just blocked in with no shading or anything. However I really like the basic color scheme and feel like it could be very strong once completed. In many ways it reminds me of my ceramics. It has that playful yet structured character. The main thing for me is to stop before going too far! A lesson I keep needing to learn it seems in my life. Hopefully by this time I am getting better at it.
Who can explain the vicissitudes of the imagination? My husband and his band members of CLIMATE STRANGE were playing their piece “Crystal Acrobat.” It was about looking out the window at the snow. I was drawing, enjoying their music, and out came this piece–notwithstanding the fact it is a hot day in the middle of June here in the Pacific Northwest!
Well maybe I was also feeling a little sad, which I think does come through in this drawing. Reason being I was feeling that way is that James, the lead guitarist, is about to move back to San Jose. I will be very sorry to see him go since he truly ads a lot to the band, plus he is a really nice guy. He will be hard to replace since all their music is completely original. To hear some snyps of their amazing music, go to their website at https://climatestrange.org/music-2/
I often think of my pen and ink drawings as “warm ups.” Although in this case, I believe it is probably the finished piece.
“Petting the Cat,” ceramic vase by Bea Garth, copyright 2017
Looks like I will be getting a used but good condition 818 P kiln on Sunday.
This means we finally can finally install a kiln here since it will use only half the electrical load of most other electric kilns. This is important since we simply don’t have a large enough electrical box to support having a large kiln unless we change to having a gas stove etc. Which at this point would be very expensive since we’d have to put in new piping into the kitchen and the laundry downstairs, plus of course get new appliances.
I still plan on converting my old larger electrical kiln to propane, but it will be nice to have a working electric kiln too. I had an 818 P years ago and loved it. Apparently I can make it taller too by stacking an extra row of soft brick . It won’t fire as hot that way, however it will be plenty hot enough since I plan to stick with low fire.
I am really jazzed about this since I love the freedom of working with clay–plus find it to be incredibly healing. Which is just what the doctor ordered so to speak given the fact I have had a lot of health challenges this last couple of years.
Here’s a piece on the right that I made last summer still waiting to get fired called “Petting the Cat.” So yes I am pretty excited at this wonderful find (i.e., re the lower voltage electric kiln)!
Still thinking we should build a small kiln shed outside the garage however to avoid fumes of course. But its very do-able given my background working on houses…
This piece below with the couple holding the Fish-bird is representative of one’s Inner Spirit which can heal one of almost all things… In this case my husband encouraged me to apply for 2018 Clark County Open Studios! The OS event will be the first weekend in November. Am crossing my fingers I will get in.
I wasn’t sure I would do it, but now am glad I have made the commitment. I am finally psychologically ready to do a lot more art this summer although I still need to pace myself due to my healing wrist and the Lyme Disease.
Fortunately I don’t have to set up my studio like I did last year so it should be a snap comparatively speaking. Am very much looking forward to doing a lot more painting this summer, plus more with my ceramic plaques and sculpture. Both media are incredibly healing!
“Holding the Fish-bird,” ceramic plaque by Bea Garth, copyright 2018
OK this is not my usual painting. Honestly I used to be a realist–its still in there. This is somewhere in between actually. Am thinking I might paint a number of animals to help honor the Earth–as a way to counterbalance my much heavier project re-Hanford.
“Stellar Jay in Mist” acrylic on canvas by Bea Garth, copyright 2018
Am not quite sure if this piece is done or not. Am wondering if its bright enough, though being in the mist does dampen down colors…
Just worked on it today last minute for the upcoming show about “Birds From the Family Corvidae” by the Angst Gallery in Vancouver, WA.
I love birds and other creatures. So it makes sense for me to explore this territory. I may well also do something for an upcoming show in Portland about roses…just because.
I am finally beginning a new series about the effects of radiation from Hanford etc. from a personal child-like point of view. Here I am falling through a trap door into the waiting arms of Pluto (God of the Underworld–and of nuclear radiation) with my cat falling with me at my side.
I am still planning to put in some shading etc. Otherwise I think this new 2′ x 3′ acrylic painting is close to done.
The pink represents invisible radiation that blanketed the area outside of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation the night of December 2nd and 3rd, 1949 — including where we lived in Walla Walla, Washington. Apparently it rained when it wasn’t “supposed to.” Twice the amount of radiation was released than they had originally planned. I have read they secretly released between 8000 and 12,000 curies of radioactive iodine–and that this was not the only “green run,” i.e., where green uncured uranium was used at Hanford. The scrubbers for the effluent were turned off at night for 12 hours. It was part of the Cold War race for nuclear superiority with Russia.
There was no notification to the locals so none of us knew about any of this, and thus we did not know we needed to protect ourselves. It wasn’t discovered until years later when mention of the “green run” was found inside mountains of paper-work that was given to an enquiring reporter from Spokane (Karen Dorn Steele). The paper-work was supposed to prove Hanford had nothing serious to hide. As it turned out, it was far more serious than anyone ever thought.
“Trap Door” w.i.p. acrylic painting by Bea Garth, copyright 2018
Now I realize my recurring dream of falling through a trap door was my child self representing what actually happened. After being a very healthy baby, at age 4 months (coincident with the Green Run) I suddenly became severely ill with pneumonia for close to a year.
Eventually I was taken to the hospital and put in isolation to figure out what could be done. I was given special treatment since my parents were local celebrities for their work as archaeologists finding and carefully uncovering Fort Walla Walla. I was taken off gluten, sugar and milk fat, plus given gamma globulin for my “failure to thrive.” Fortunately I bounced back! Much later I learned that some of the Chernobyl victims were also given gamma globulin and often special diets. Like me, they got better.
It makes me sad to think of all the other babies who could have been helped like me, but weren’t. Quite a few ended up in the cemetery. Babies are a lot more sensitive to radiation than anyone else. Clearly we need a new paradigm where the health of the Earth and those who live on it needs to come first rather than continuing a focus on an insane arms race that forgets we all live together on a fragile planet.
This makes me think of the continuing problems at Fukishima and, similar to Hanford, how real news coming from there is largely suppressed. And the very real threat of bringing back the Cold War–or a hot one, possibly started in the Middle East ,rather than focus on how we can restore our ailing planet.
Meanwhile, here in Washington at the Hanford site, problems with the clean-up continues to be a sore point. The numerous open radiation pits, leaking cannisters and the fact spent fuel rods are stored just 400 feet from the Columbia River, leaves us open for trouble. I wish it would all just go away, but it looks like Hanford’s old demons will stay with us for some time.
Jordan Clark and I enjoyed ourselves this last Sat. night (Feb. 24th, 2018) giving our Art Talk at the Gallery @ Cerulean (Skies Wine) in Portland.
Here’s two pix from after the Art Talk taken by Jennifer Williams:
Jordan Clark and Bea Garth in front of 2 of their paintings at Cerulean Feb. 2018. Bea’s painting Secrets is on the right…Jordan Clark and Bea Garth at Art Talk and Closing at the Gallery at Cerulean Wine Feb 2018
Later in March I should be getting the video of part of the Art Talk as well as the Poetry Reading we had at the Opening Reception plus original music played there by my husband’s band Climate Strange from Hazel Miller, the curator of The Gallery @ Cerulean.
Jordan Clark and I are also talking about possibly doing a collaboration, which I think could be amazing. Our styles are very different, but our colors, movement, line and feeling are very similar. More on that later!
Here’s two more pix of me with some of my work at the Opening Reception, Feb. 1st 2018. I had just finished The Music Genie 2 days before the Reception! Fortunately its acrylic on canvas so it was dry. Its the painting in the middle in the pix on the right:
Bea Garth looking at her painting “Legs Like Vines” copyright 2017 at her opening at the Gallery @ Cerulean, PDX Feb 2018Bea Garth in front her painting The Music Genie, copyright 2018 at the Gallery @ Cerulean Feb 2018
Bea Garth by her painting “Turtles Complaint to Gaia” copyright 2015 at the Gallery at Cerulean feb 2018
–And yes you can see my arm in a brace. I am still recovering from surgery on my wrist after a bad fall in December. Thankfully now the brace is off. It helped but was very uncomfortable. Am doing massage and exercises to more fully recover use of my left wrist. Its happening. Am very grateful I am healing well. Even though its still painful its not at bad as it was. This exhibit showed me that positive expression was and is possible even during difficult passages in life. Just needed a little push and help from my husband and friends.
This will be your last chance to see both the artwork and meet/listen to Bea Garth and Jordan Clarkspeak about their paintings and what brought them to it — before the show ends on Feb. 26th.
Empathy acrylic on canvas by Bea Garth, copyright 2014
The artists’ bold, playful and elegant use of color, line and shape draw the viewer in to their deeper more subtle psychological aspects despite their very different styles (Garth surreal/figurative, Clark bold/gestural geometrics).
Come and see the art, meet the artists and hear their “art talk”!
“Crane” by Jordan Clark, copyright 2017 flashe, acrylic, ink, dye on canvas
Plus enjoy the fine wine and food at the wine bar with its sleek, comfortable couches in the Cerulean’s beautiful high ceilinged building — creating a truly aesthetic art experience.
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.
This photo of me standing in front of my newest painting (The Music Genie) is from last night’s reception of my month long exhibit. It was a very fun night while we were entertained by the completely original music by my husband Chris Arcus’ band Climate Strange.
Bea Garth in front of her new painting “The Music Genie” copyright 2018 at the Art Gallery At The Cerulean, Portland Oregon
I also read poetry to an appreciative crowd. While reading (accompanied by Chris on his keyboard), I realized I often have repeating images of nature, the everyday, eros and relationship, the mythic and the subconscious in both my paintings and poetry that seem to echo each other.
I was very impressed by the beauty of the gallery and how the curator Hazel Miller arranged everything exquisitely. My art and that of Jordan Clark’s was grouped by color and shape for instance–which really works even though he is an abstract painter and I am a figurative one.
Bea Garth looking at her painting Legs Like Vines copyright 2017 at the Gallery at the Cerulean Feb 2018
The Art Gallery At The Cerulean is at 1439 NW Marshall St., on the edge of the Pearl district in Portland, Oregon. The Cerulean is a great place to go to buy wine and a bite to eat, hang out and experience fine art.
And yes, you can see I am still sporting an arm brace. I fell while out for a walk and severely injured my left wrist in late December which then required surgery. It likely will take at least 2 more months to heal. I am determined not to let it stop me now that I am a bit better and remember to use ice quite frequently while painting. Am getting better each day–and at managing with one hand for now–with help from my dear husband and our room mate who both help me with food preparation etc.
bgarthart.com 