Works by Catherine Steinberg
November 1 – December 4, 2019
Artist Talk and Reception Thursday, November 7, 6 – 8 pm.
Catherine Steinberg began painting with acrylics and oils 25 years ago. She considers the painting process to be her meditation and therapy. She believes color and light have transformative powers and can aid in healing. In this exhibit, The Mary Paintings were conceived through dreams and shamanic journey work in 2011. They were inspired by readings about Mary Magdalene and Steinberg’s work with women in psychotherapy and the expressive arts. Through the process of working and meditation, Steinberg received information from within herself that guided her to explore the Divine Feminine. Steinberg states,
I have found that light and energy vibrations from colors and shapes can help change moods, alter self-limiting perceptions and open our psyches for change and growth. The images came to me about a week apart and each painting was completed in about three hours. The messages for the paintings were revealed to me about a year after the completion of the paintings.
The Mary Paintings dynamic flow and rhythm are its primary design principles. Furthermore, the robust motion utilizes strong colors, which are rich, unrelenting, and saturated. There is constant movement exhibited by the brush strokes and the directionality of form. This movement is bold.
It creates the feminine figure as it moves through space. There is no need for faces, hands, or feet. The curvilinear motion creates shape leading us to believe these forms are charismatic women. When viewing the works, one tends to get swept up, almost feeling the rush of energy emerging from the paintings.
Steinberg has studied with Italian artist, Alexander Shundi, at the Wooster Art School in Danbury, Connecticut and Arts On The Lake, Carmel, New York. She has studied with Susan Ferri of Santa Fe, NM and, more recently, with Gwen Fox of Taos, New Mexico. Steinberg has been a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist since 1983 and currently works with couples and individuals in her Guilford, Connecticut office. She is also a Shamanic Practitioner. More information can be found at her website: catherinensteinberg.com
The Mary Paintings are on long-term loan to the Mercy by the Sea Retreat and Conference Center in Madison, Connecticut. The Clare Gallery wishes to thank the Mercy Center for allowing the Gallery to exhibit this series.
