Phillip J. Mellen talks with painter Julia Schwartz about her work and process.

Schwartz returns several times in the conversation to the importance of place to her as a painter. "In general," she remarks, "I'm working more from a kind of mental place.. I don't think it's an intellectual place, it's just more from a reverie state… I'm just trying to be open to the experience of being in the studio." Later she comments: "Everything that I do, whether it's painting or work in my office, or just being – living – it's all coming out of the same place… It's like walking around with your filters open all the time… receptive all the time."

Julia Schwartz recently curated the online exhibition States of Being at curatingcontemporary.com (through May 15) and her work will be included in the group show What I Like About You at Parallel Art Space, Brooklyn from May 31 – June 30, 2013.