Paul Signac and I, Brothers in Art.

Remake of Signac's: Pont des les Arts 1928 by C.t.Rasmuss, pencil/gouache (Nov. 2014).

I just over heard a brief conversation between an artist and the manager of a local place that holds exhibits, where I'm at for the WIFI and coffee, in order to make this post, and right as I was placing the above image: Remake of Signac's Pont de les Arts 1928, by yours truly...I heard the artist contemplating out-loud to his manager, about a current process for his new piece he's working on.  What got to me was his resolution in this conversation, this being the essence and conclusion he'd drawn from their encounter, which was: "...depends on what people want to put in their homes..".

Wow!!!  This comes as a shock to me and at the same time as a revelation: people/fellow artists, are 'we' this shallow?  To compromise everything we do, and are, what we represent, just to please others, merely for the chance they might give us a bit of cash?  If so, then what's it all for?  I mean, it embarrasses me to ever think ourselves to be in the same category as those great innovators of the Renaissance, especially those who painted without a license, risking their lives to express their freedoms and beliefs, as well as many other generations of artists, fighting a cause, big or small.  Hearing an "artist" talk the way this artist did just now, really offends me; and opens my eyes even more to a generation filled with others that feel this same way, paint this way, and base their life's work on(excuse me but) such a slutty principal!

Now don't get me wrong, if this is a hobby for you, or your painting for a loved one/friend/family member, etc. and you're keeping in mind what they'd like, etc. I respect you for it, but when money's involved; other than even perhaps a much needed commission for professionals, this doesn't include my contempt, but I would like to say even to these commercial artists and commissioned pieces: they too should have a certain freedom from outside influence, in sake of truth, over money, but that's just me(hopefully til the grave).

Thumbnail of S's: Pont des les Arts 1928 by C.t.Rasmuss, ink (Nov. 2014).

People!  I swear to you, I was here at this same place last week for the same purpose and read a coffee-table book: 'Master Drawings Rediscovered' by Ilatovskya; The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg/Abrams.  and in this book I saw many drawings and watercolors by Signac, more in one book than I'd ever seen before; I've known about his pointillism long before his drawings, which most people know him for of the former; so upon seeing this: I was inspired to finally make attempt of my own, not because it: "...depends on what people want to put in their homes.", but because, coincidentally I'd been in search of a composition by this same Master for my next Lucid Mosaic, I did it entirely for myself.

Drawing for Remake of Signac's Pont des les Arts 1928  by C.t.Rasmuss, pencil (Nov. 2014).

The Mosaic's I do are especially for me, my belief in God's gift he's revealed to me, and I believe all of this to be true because it's our collective duty to push beauty further(or point out where we fall short maybe, being the other-side of the spectrum), among others.  And if none of it ever gets it due, well then that's not my problem.  "I tried my best", which is what I hope I can restfully say someday, old and gray.

So the compositional source I used for my Remake by Signac, had a bridge, something I hope someday to incorporate into one of my mosaics, as they evolve in complexity; for now it's just nice having an excuse to paint a bridge anyway, the bonus here is using my innate gouache style, which you'll see is why I feel such a strong attraction to Signac's drawings.

Palette in the Dessert  C.t.Rasmuss, ink/gouache (2010).

The above painting is a landscape straight from my imagination, and done before ever seeing Signac's unique style in watercolor/gouache, making us brothers in art some how:) 

Bank of the Seine Near the Point des Arts with a View of The Louvre  Paul Signac, pencil/watercolor/gouache.

Pont des les Arts  Paul Signac, oil (1928).

The 1st of these two paintings by Signac, is one of the drawings from the book I mentioned, and the second is the oil painting that I drew the actual remake from; this oil of his seems to me more of an example of: Post-Impressionism than his Pointillism, which he famously helped develop after the death of his mentor, Georges Seraut.

>Follow this link to view more drawings by Paul Signac<