Visceral and embodying movement, Toni Swarthout’s large color fields draw on a bodily responsiveness to paint. She engages the physical process of art-making, interacting with the paint, allowing it to work through her. She juxtaposes thick, dragged strokes with gouging and studio debris. Her approach is uninhibited, guided by process as she connects with nature and embraces the fluid nature of reacting to paint on canvas.Painting from her studio in the hip neighborhood of Germantown in Nashville, Tennessee, Swarthout explores her work by removing judgment from the creative process and embracing the fluid nature of reacting to paint in natural ways inside and outside of the studio. “Art is a conscious way of life”, Swarthout insists. “I choose to live my life thoughtfully and artfully.”