GREAT FALLS, MT .- E.L. Stewart’s emotionally stirring paintings about life, love, loss, and renewal are presented at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art in her exhibition of recent works titled, Between Earth and Heaven. The paintings are a glimpse into the artist’s soul after experiencing the impact of illness, the death of a loved one and the enduring heartache that results, “I have found that grief is often invisible. It seems to hide in shadows but can re-enter our lives at any time.” Stewart’s paintings consist of figurative pieces and landscapes that contain narrative elements within lightly abstracted forms filled with movement from flowing brush strokes that offer a feeling of dreamlike whimsy within a flurry of color.

“My works, particularly my figures, portray the essence of living persons, wildly vulnerable in the home of the soul and spirit. I look beyond the raw physical attributes into the whole person with their passions and fears and dreams exposed. I believe that the viewer will bring their own life-experiences into a painting, thereby making the work a personal encounter. My paintings are ignited by memory. Some of my paintings breathe a longing for a peaceful existence while others portray the complexity of grief.” —E.L. Stewart

Stewart lives and works in Spokane, WA, her unique paintings have been exhibited in numerous group and solo shows around the United States, with paintings in Seattle, Portland, Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago. Her work was featured in an exhibit in Santa Fe entitled THE ART OF LOVE and in Davis, California in THE ART OF WAR exhibit.

This exhibition was curated by Nicole Maria Evans, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections. Exhibitions presented by The Square are supported in part by the Montana Arts Council a state agency funded by the State of Montana, Humanities Montana, National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor, and National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by museum members and the citizens of Cascade County, and generous support from Davidson Family Foundation, First Interstate Bank, and D.A. Davidson.