JULY 10, 2013 PROGRAM - BETH GOLDSTEIN

We welcomed Beth Goldstein to our July meeting.

Beth attended Brown University, but while she was supposed to be in her chemistry class she found an art class to attend instead – much to the dismay of her parents!

Upon graduation, Beth worked for Macy’s, but when asked to transfer to either New York or San Francisco, she opted to come to Cincinnati and attended the Cincinnati Art Academy, earning her Master’s degree.

While at the Art Academy, she was free to just “do art” and learned to love the negative space in paintings.  Along with her standard classes, she worked in printmaking, gouache and finally watercolor.  With 3 tubes of paint, some water, brush and paper Beth learned how exciting watercolor can be.  She started painting small, and still likes smaller works, in the 16x20 or smaller range of sizes.

Following a 4-day trip to Santa Fe, she returned home and painted 75 watercolors based on her photos from that trip – which she defines as a life changing event.

Beth wanted to use traditional concepts but finds herself drawn to the abstract.  She does not draw with a pencil – only her brush, and says her shapes are dictated by the brush.  She adopts the philosophy of “simplify to the essence of your subject” and finds herself becoming more abstract as time goes by.

Beth was recently asked by the Cincinnati Art Museum to create some Delft tiles to accompany one of their exhibits.  In addition she has worked with the Cincinnati Nature Center and the Cincinnati Airport.