Beth Cartland "Sunrise", Phoenix Gallery 5/22-6/15/13

I love the process of painting the physical process of applying paint to canvas. There is a real sense of freedom in allowing a spontaneous application of color and line to the prepared surface. There is energy in painting that works towards connecting my spiritual as well as my emotional spaces.

It almost always begins with a line, or many lines drawn as fast as possible. Then, I like to hang shapes and colors and textures together in and around the lines. Sometimes they tell a story or illustrate an emotion, but not always. Often I add objects to the surface of my work, creating a collage out of patterns and paint, line and texture. When working with a live model I will start with a line drawing that is fairly representation but will then work itself into an abstraction of the mood or motion of the model. For me, abstract art, like life, is always accessible and inaccessible at the same time. Both tangible and mysterious, abstract art contains the elements of surprise and spirituality