Eileen Blyth | Drawing the Line Exhibition

 Artist Eileen Blyth’s upcoming solo art show, “Drawing the Line,” does exactly as its title suggests. It drives us to decide at what point we’ve reached our limits, exhausted all possibilities, seen all there is to see. With a nod to graphic arts icon Milton Glaser, the show encourages viewers to look more deeply, to examine the tiniest details and open their minds to new or unforeseen perspectives.

An established painter, sculptor, and installation artist, Blyth is pushing herself to shift and mutate boundaries, to ensure that she is growing creatively. For many years, Blyth has alternated between two-dimensional paintings and three-dimensional sculptures, all falling under the “abstract” umbrella. Recently, she noticed that some 3D effects were showing up in her 2D work. “It was surprising to recognize the 3D lines and shadows within the confines of the 2D line and composition. “There was an internal shift, a moment of playfulness that intrigued me”,.” Blyth says. “It is not meant to be the purpose of the work; it is just the bonus. The viewer is invited to discover what he is actually seeing, a suggestion that transcends the natural world.

With this in mind, Blyth decided to take stock, to look back at her purest origins. Last fall, she enrolled in a life drawing class. “I realized I hadn’t picked up a piece of charcoal since college,” she explained. “I wondered whether I could still draw the human figure. I didn’t forget how to draw, but I had to reconnect my eye and hand, my memory and reality. After a long while, an artist can forget how to actually ‘see.’

“I was exploring the foundation and inspiration, the origin of my marks, the penetrating lines that punctuate so many of my paintings. Was I saying anything relevant with the lines and shadows, or was I just repeating myself?”

Blyth’s new work reflects on the unspoken dialogue that takes place between artist and viewer. It seeks to reshape perspectives and connect with the viewer in new ways. “I want to convey something personal in every piece,” Blyth said. “I want to make authentic connections that are meditative and mindful of perpetuating circles we all naturally experience.”

There is a playfulness in many of these paintings. They invite viewers to join visual puzzle pieces, to make their own discoveries within the lines.