​Trish Shwart presents
Markers of Time
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September 21-29, 2024 at arc.hive, 770B Hillside Avenue
Artist Talk: Sunday, September 29, 3:00pm
Hours: 12:00-4:00, Saturday and Sunday

Covid may have stopped the world, but it launched some artists on a fascinating journey. So it was with Trish Shwart, who undertook a series of jewel-like paintings recalling important moments in her life. Called Stolen Moments, each painting is encapsulated within a unique setting that sets the emotional tone for the memory.

At the same time, the artist began a series called Markers of Time. These lengthy scroll-like paintings explored her concerns about the future of our planet. The two series compared her own limited time on earth with the vast eons of geological time.
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​After three years and completing the paintings, Shwart realized: “I was documenting my grief over the current unfolding environmental disaster."

“In the Mountains”, mixed-media on paper, 11x8.5in, 2022.

​Visitors to the exhibition at arc.hive can view two of the four long paintings from Markers of Time. Also on view are seven out of 24 scenes from Stolen Moments. Each “moment” is painted with acryla-gouache on 8x11 inch paper and framed to be 16x20 inches. The artwork graces the lobby/gallery of arc.hive’s new location on Hillside Avenue. The bustling artist-run centre hosts several studios and shares office space with MISSA.

Trish Shwart, “Taking the long way to the lake”, acrylic, wax pencil and spray paint on paper, 15 inches by 7 feet. 2022-23.

​The artist’s original concept for Markers of Time focused on her own sense of isolation from nature. She decided to confront her issues by painting the experience of walking through an imagined countryside. To do this, she joined together sheets of paper, until the terrain in which she wandered stretched out several lineal feet. As work progressed, the long landscapes morphed into a meditation on a potential extinction event. She pondered the outcome of planetary crises asking: “Will everything disappear, or the natural world establish a new kind of balance?”

​Taking the long way to the lake, is seven feet in length and explores the the effect of climate change on topography. The painting unfolds in a series of fascinating vignettes, dreamlike and ethereal. Loosely painted, the foreground and background blend together in a haze of warm colours and indistinct shapes. There is life shown in a small herd of deer on the move. But the trail or pathway to the lake appears lost amid encroaching wetlands and dark thickets of tree-like foliage.

Trish Shwart, “Exchanging the forest for a place to live”, wax pencil and spray paint on paper, 22 inches by 19.5 feet. 2022-2023.

While painting Exchanging the forest for a place to live, Shwart’s perceptions about the future shifted. “With trepidation, I came to accept that catastrophic events were likely to occur,” she says, “so I focused what the future might look like.” At almost 20 feet in length, the painting is a densely-packed and layered panorama that appears to engulf remnants of human-made structures and abandoned vehicles.

Each of the long paintings took 8-10 months to complete, with the images evolving over time. She started with a central piece of paper then added sheets left and right as she went along. “There was no pre-planning,” she says, “my only limit was the size of my studio.” Media and methods include acrylic paint and wax pencil with collage and stencilling added for variety. 
Spray paint enabled a steamy and tenuous atmosphere. With each of the four paintings her confidence grew, so her techniques and markmaking became more spontaneous and experimental.  

“A quiet spot”, mixed-media on paper, 8.5x11in, 2022.

“An Autumn Morning on the Gorge”, mixed-media on paper, 8.5x11in, 2022.

“An Illuminated Path is Rare”, mixed-media on paper, 8.5x11in, 2023.

“Waterspout and Rainbow”, mixed-media paper, 11x8.5in, 2022.

“One Evening I thought of the Mountains”, mixed-media on paper, 11x8.5in, 2022.

“The Telephone Pole at the End of the Street”, mixed-media on paper, 11x8.5in, 2022.

​I ask the artist how she managed such a prodigious output during her three-year journey. “I just go into the studio and paint,” she says. Stolen Moments (above) reveals her talents as an innovative colourist with superb drawing skills. Between 2019 and 2021, Shwart took a Turps Correspondence Course which assisted her progress. She worked with four online mentors who offered written reviews and regular critiques. Based in the UK, each mentor was a professional working in the field of contemporary visual arts. Shwart graduated from Emily Carr College with a Fine Arts Diploma in 1983. “Much has changed in the world of contemporary art since then,” she notes.

“Over the Earth, the Grass is Singing”, acrylic and spray paint on wood panel, 36x48in, 2023.

“Gravitating Towards a New Way of Being”, acrylic on wood panel, 30x40in, 2023.

After completing Markers of Time in 2023, Shwart launched into a new series with enthusiasm. On the Precipice is not included in the arc.hive show, but 15 new paintings can be viewed on her website. One of these paintings, After the Clearcut, received an Award of Excellence at the 2024 Sooke Fine Arts show and was quickly collected. These lush and imaginative paintings offer a hopeful series of futuristic scenes, in which individuals and the environment intermingle. In Over the Earth, the Grass is Singing, there is a triumphant cacophony of colour and texture atop a sea of teal and tawny fields. Brilliant flower heads float in space, joining columnar purple trees and crimson branches that delineate the sky and forest beyond.

​In Gravitating Towards a New Way of Being, the unusual foliage sings in rich tones of mauve, ochre and fuchsia. Red triangles that resemble computer toggles float into the air then reappear as golden fish in a blue steam. One loosely defined structure appears translucent, amorphous and semi-permanent. The world is in flux, much like the magical world of a child. With Markers of Time, Shwart leads her viewers on a journey into the future, sharing her perceptions and intuitions about our world during a time of profound change.

Trish Shwart welcomes your interest.
Please visit her during gallery hours during the show.
Hours: 12:00-4:00, Saturday and Sunday Sept 21-29
[email protected]; 
website is HERE;  Instagram: shwartta

arc.hive artist-run centre,
​770B Hillside Ave, Victoria, V8T 1Z6. 
​Contact: [email protected]   


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​Markers of Time is now installed and ready for viewing. As you can see by the photos, the installation looks terrific and Trish is on site ready to engage with guests during gallery hours. To view at other times, please email Trish to set up an appointment.
And be sure to catch the artist’s talk on Sunday, September 29 @ 3pm.

​Web Design and Content by Kate Cino
Arts writer published in Focus on Victoria, Yam and Boulevard. 
History in Art degree and Public Relations certificate from 
​the University of Victoria
​
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