Paula Swain
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About Paula Swain
My enthusiasm for painting is rooted in my artistic family. Surrounded by art, the foundation for my career was poured, as both parents were art teachers. I was inspired by my father, George Kosanovic, MFA, and his painter colleagues of the Northwest in the 1960’s and 70’s. The best weekends and family vacations were spent painting plein air in the Seattle area, Oregon coast or Southern Utah.
I have been able to study painting with many great artists and teachers. My style is expressionistic with color, savoring the American West landscape forms. I have found a love for juicy mounds of oil colors and their textural, layering qualities.
Plein air: why am I passionate about painting this space? It seems there are thousands of colors we can see with our eyes, and the colors captured with a camera are limited. I map the structure, movement, shapes, shadows and light. I feel the color, mix it and put it down, as I see it at that moment.
The intoxicating smell of sage, a crow convention in the nearby trees. A bouncing desert hare, then the quiet whiffle of a hawk’s wings. Painting with my father, in this moment he would say, ‘We are rich as kings.’ This is the joy I wish for the viewer to know through my work.”