Painting Hope
Inside the Studios of Three Mountain West Artists
by Danielle Vigueria
During difficult times, art often emerges as a means of recognizing and communicating complex emotions and opening a new line of communication with the world at large. For the three artists in this feature, creative expression has been an invaluable tool for connection while facing personal challenges and universal fears.
With strong individual styles, Barb Schwarz Karst, Samantha daSilva, and Susan Swartz each paint with evident conviction and clear purpose. As the past year has brought with it unimaginable circumstances for our global community, it is in the work of artists such as these three women that many of us can see our own thoughts and feelings beautifully realized.
In the following pages, the artists share the inspiration for their latest collections as well as the motivating forces they hold close in their hearts. Moved by world events, natural beauty, and personal hardships, they each find comfort and purpose in their painting, and are hopeful that their viewers will as well.
Samantha daSilva: Becoming Fearless
by Danielle Vigueria
“Fear of the blank canvas. Fear that the great idea in your mind won’t translate. It is part of the challenge of any creative endeavor. I continuously strive to be more heart-centered and move away from that fear.”
–Samantha daSilva
A relative newcomer to the Salt Lake City art community, Samantha daSilva has been creating for as long as she can remember. Samantha is a third-generation artist, whose paintings radiate warmth and confidence—just as she does—and so it is hard to believe that Samantha was once afraid to pursue art professionally.
“I grew up in a really artistic home, and I can’t recall not being an artist,” says Samantha. “Even so, I was afraid to go to art school. All of the family history encouraged me, but I felt like everything had already been done. I thought, ‘What can I possibly add to this legacy?’ So, I opted for the perceived stability and safety of a more conventional career. But eventually, I knew that it wasn’t the right fit for me, and I had to listen to my heart and have the courage to step out.”
Thirteen years later, she has never regretted that decision—although she is admittedly a bit surprised that following one’s heart, coupled with discipline and conviction, can work. Putting heart before head has become a major theme in Samantha’s life as well as her art.
“For me, and I think for many artists, there can be a lot of fear in art,” says Samantha. “Fear of the blank canvas. Fear that the great idea in your mind won’t translate. It is part of the challenge of any creative endeavor. I continuously strive to be more heart-centered and move away from that fear.”
One of the ways Samantha does this is by relinquishing any fixed ideas of what a painting must look like. With no brushes or easels, she paints from an intuitive place, often on the floor of her studio, allowing the piece to evolve in the moment. Setting her intentions at the beginning of each new work, just like in yoga practice, she is able to stay rooted in the present and surrender to the process.
With a deep passion for abstract painting, her pieces are emotion-forward, welcoming, and a bit provocative, as if inviting the viewer into an intimate conversation. “I try to infuse emotion into every canvas. I love that abstract art allows the viewer to interpret their own meaning; maybe a piece reminds them of a place or a feeling. I want my viewers to impose their own stories onto the work. An original piece of art has soul and hopefully people can feel that.”
In contrast to the etherealness of emotion, Samantha also infuses the concreteness of place into her paintings by using local, natural materials. “There’s been a lot of movement in my life,” says Samantha. “Another theme that has been constant in my work is home and belonging. Incorporating the environment into my pieces is a way to feel like I belong to where I am and to tell a story on the canvas about place.”
To celebrate and connect to the Utah landscape, Samantha uses the area’s unique red dirt, local sawdust, and salt from the Great Salt Lake to add texture and interest to her paintings.
“Another theme that has been constant in my work is home and belonging. Incorporating the environment into my pieces is a way to feel like I belong to where I am and to tell a story on the canvas about place.”
–Samantha daSilva
Although her pieces may not have local landmarks as their subjects, they certainly honor physical location and can be powerful markers of place. Samantha jokes that she might not be painting the mountain, but she is painting with the mountain.
With two citizenships and a third in the works, Samantha knows how to capture the individual spirit of a location. She has traveled extensively and her art has been featured in hundreds of exhibitions and enhances private collections throughout the world. In the Salt Lake City area, she has created work for Alta View Hospital and Mountain America Credit Union, as well as many individuals.
“I actually love painting commissions,” says Samantha. “Other artists may feel like it infringes on their artistic process, but I look at it as an opportunity to co-create. And I really enjoy collaborating with clients to create something that is in harmony with their space. I can even take sand or other natural materials that are meaningful to them and weave those items into the work. A home should be a sanctuary and introducing original art gives it such an added depth.”
Samantha further connects to the community and explores her interest in co-creation through art education. Recognizing art as a tool for self-actualization and a catalyst for empowerment, Samantha has found a passion for sharing her process with others. She teaches in partnership with the Kimball Art Center and the University of Utah’s Lifelong Learning program and offers private workshops and lessons in her studio.
“I love being an artist and interacting with people, whether it’s through my work or through teaching,” says Samantha. “I want to encourage anyone who is afraid to follow their passions. Artistic expression can change lives.”
For more information about Samantha’s available work, instructional opportunities, and commission inquiries, visit samanthadasilva.com.
Barb Schwarz Karst: “Stark Unreality”
by Danielle Vigueria
“When you get good at something, it is often easy to fall back on that thing that works. When I moved into abstraction it was like a catharsis, like I unlocked a door within.”
–Barb Schwarz Karst
When contemporary artist Barb Schwarz Karst started her most recent collection, “Stark Unreality,” in 2019, she had no idea just how drastically her reality, and that of the entire world, would change. Shortly after embarking on this project, the chaotic and emotional events of 2020—racial injustices, global pandemic, civil unrest—became the new driving forces behind her work.
“I began the series from a place of very personal expression,” says Barb. “And as time went on, it evolved into a much broader conversation. I created the second round of paintings in 2020 and they were much larger in size and the scope was greater than just my experience. I found myself acutely aware of other people, everyone in the world really, and feeling great empathy for our global community.”
Barb, a Montana native, has been a professional artist for 15 years. Specializing in photo realism, she has produced an abstract collection that represents a departure from the highly detailed works she is most known for. “I was used to being so meticulous, and my work was very time-intensive,” says Barb. “I didn’t want to be stuck in my previous successes. When you get good at something, it is often easy to fall back on that thing that works. When I moved into abstraction it was like a catharsis, like I unlocked a door within. And it felt so liberating to try new things, especially during a time with mandatory isolation orders when being faced with so many ‘cant’s.’ I wanted to learn something new and say something meaningful.”
Unlike the detailed portraits in her celebrated collection, “Shifting Winds,” the works in “Stark Unreality,” are intangible images that are stripped of color. Barb uses a palette of primarily black, white, and gray to point to the vast “gray area” in life. She aims to capture the complexities of the issues facing our world today—nothing is purely black or white, right or wrong.
The viewer can feel the conflict of 2020, the unease that is permeating the world today, through the aggressive energy that Barb has infused into her paintings. Often working with her canvas on the floor and exchanging brushes for paper, plastic, and even brooms, she uses harsh strokes to capture the tumultuous feelings of a year in upheaval. The pieces are highly textural, incorporating fabrics and wires underneath the surface that disrupt the paint.
While facing these challenges, Barb reminds us that there is an imperative for communication and cooperation. “There is this feeling right now that everyone is talking, but no one is listening,” says Barb. “No one is understanding one another. I’ve been painting to try to process everything that has been going on. It helps me deal with difficult emotions, and at the same time it helps me recognize that other people are hurting, too. I think it is important for everyone to try to connect with one another, especially now.”
“I want people to have a visceral reaction to my pieces. If a viewer doesn’t feel anything, then I have not succeeded as an artist.”
–Barb Schwarz Karsts
Like the unending loop of new stories that fueled Barb’s expression, each piece in “Stark Unreality,” has a connection to the next, creating its most powerful impact when viewed as a group. With some paintings measuring more than nine feet and with titles such as “Rise Up,” “Off the Fence,” and “No In Between,” viewers are confronted with uncomfortable truths and can’t help but feel an undeniable call to action.
“I want people to have a visceral reaction to my pieces,” says Barb. “If a viewer doesn’t feel anything, then I have not succeeded as an artist. I want my paintings to conjure up every individual’s voice and viewpoint, to help people have the opportunity to share their experiences. Art is a language—it’s a connection. It shouldn’t just be a pretty compliment to your furniture. There has to be some meaning behind the work.”
As a lifelong artist and former art teacher, Barb feels lucky that she was chosen to pursue this career and she can’t imagine doing anything else. Her work can be found in galleries in Missoula, Whitefish, and Bozeman, and have been featured in worldwide and domestic exhibitions, museums, print publications, as well as corporate, private, and traveling collections throughout the United States. She is a three-time award recipient of the National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. She currently lives in Missoula and enjoys painting and creating under the blue skies and natural beauty of Montana.
“Art is a language—it’s a connection. It shouldn’t just be a pretty compliment to your furniture.”
–Barb Schwarz Karsts
For more information about Barb Schwarz Karst and her work, visit schwarzkarststudio.com
Susan Swartz: Susan Swartz Studios
“Nature has always been one of my greatest sources of inspiration.”
–Susan Swartz
Located on Park City’s picturesque historic Main Street, Susan Swartz Studios is a contemporary gallery where every painting tells a story.
The gallery showcases the work of the eponymous artist, a longtime resident of the mountain town. A visit to the space feels like a glimpse into the heart and mind of the renowned environmental artist herself. It is clear that Susan finds delight in the creative process. From every bold stroke to each textured layer, her feelings are inherent in her art. Many of the works are vibrant and energetic while others are more calm, subdued, and quiet. Each painting evokes a different emotion, and each pays tribute to nature in its own unique way. Through her reverently painted canvases, Susan’s devotion to nature is abundantly evident.
“Nature has always been one of my greatest sources of inspiration.”
Fifteen years ago, Susan was diagnosed with mercury poisoning and Lyme’s Disease. Today, she is grateful to be healthy and considers each day a blessing. From this decade-long battle with environmentally-borne illnesses that left her fighting to survive, Susan transitions from series to series — each a visceral expression of the joys and challenges she experienced along the way.
“Creativity has helped me to triumph over adversity.”
Susan’s distinctive style has developed from realism to contemporary abstraction. She shares her journey openly. Susan paints with the courage of her convictions as her life experiences continually serve to shape her resilience and fortify her dedication. Advocacy has become an integral component of her work. Through her career, Susan has become aware of how she can use her art to raise awareness about nature’s increasing fragility and the vital need to protect it. Her paintings provide an eternal reminder of the importance of preserving the beauty of the natural world.
Susan was chosen as the Environmental Artist for the 2002 Olympic Games and has been recognized with solo exhibitions in important institutions around the world. She has shown nationally in solo shows at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and Springville Museum of Art in Utah, and at the Manetti Shrem Museum in California. Over the past decade, her work has also been exhibited internationally in major museum exhibitions in Budapest, Salzburg, Koblenz, St. Petersburg, and Beijing. Susan’s work is sought-after by a loyal and long list of notable collectors across the globe; her paintings are in the permanent collections of numerous museums and have hung in the U.S. Ambassador Residences and Embassies in China, Hungary, and New Zealand.
“There are unexpected moments in life that can capture our fascination and crystallize our thinking.”
–Susan Swartz
What’s upcoming? Susan is currently in her studio creating an entirely new body of work to debut in Berlin during Berlin Art Week in September 2021 . The recent creative direction is informed by her continual journey to health and was amplified by the months the world spent in isolation. That experience provided time for reflection and contemplation. Ultimately, it has allowed Susan to explore new materials and express her fully realized voice as an artist.
“There are unexpected moments in life that can capture our fascination and crystallize our thinking.”
While her work has reached a global audience, Susan’s local collectors find a point of connection to her genuine reverence for nature and the emotion she pours into each work. Collectors have remarked on her distinct approach and how they want to spend a lifetime surrounded with the passion and energy each painting embodies.
Nature’s beauty provides Susan with an endless sense of wonder. That devotion is reflected in every brushstroke, and one cannot help but feel visually comforted by her perspective. Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Stop by Susan’s gallery on your next visit to Park City. You will leave feeling wholly inspired and enriched by the experience.
