Stuart Davis' "Yellow Hills"; The Gift of Sight

About 6 months ago I went to the Taft Museum to see a guest exhibit of work on loan from the collection of The Santa Barbara Museum of Art in California.  I went with my then new girlfriend Michelle, we had a good time and remain much closer today, which I'm very thankful for.  It was an inspiring exhibition, we were both glad we went; the painting that inspired me the most was a painting by Stuart Davis, which happens to also be the painting surrounding this post; the original seen here:

Stuart Davis "Yellow Hills" c.1919 oil.

Most of my posts usually are all about art or my processes n so on, but today's post is a little different; the reason for this is due to the fact that I'm still recovering from eye surgery to repair 2 tears in my left retina.  For the last month I've been deathly afraid of losing the sight in the one eye, which would be very tragic, especially with me being a visual artist n all, I feel much better as the surgery went well, and recovery seems on schedule, but the scare it has put in me fades slowly...

Above 2 photos: I've posted the sketch I made from Stuart Davis's "Yellow Hills" c.1919 and the initial painting I finished the night we got back from the museum.  I wasted no time at all getting something done via the inspiration I received from the exhibition that day, but it has taken me over 6 months getting back to finishing what I had started...shown below is where I am with it today after my second sitting since just before surgery last week:

As it stand for now, perhaps the 1st sitting is better than the 2nd seen here...but today I'm not concerned with the recurring topic of "when is an artist finished?"; I am only concerned with the new question that I've never truly digested before:  "Am I happy to just be able to paint, or do art in the first place?"

That answer is: YES!!! I am, and I hope to no longer take it as for granted I have in the past, ever again.

amen

And here's to a full and speedy recovery...

amen

Artist Process: 'White Rose', Demo turned into a Work of Art.

'White Rose'  C.T. Rasmuss, acrylic - 14"x 18" (2015).

I hope you like what you see here!!!

 I meant to post this a few months back when I actually finished this painting after 3 short sittings.  I started it as a demo to a student of mine, during a 2 hour beginner class.  After the class I put it away for about week or so, until I took another look.  In order to establish artist process, you can see the original for yourself, which I've posted below...as finished in the class I taught:

"'White Rose' - 1st composition"   C.T. Rasmuss, acrylic - 14"x 18" (2015). 

You'll notice, all I did was add more layers, detail and mostly plenty of texture to my favorite part of the finished painting:  it's Blue vase!

This entire composition and floral was taken mostly from the top of my head, and partly from a few imitation silk florals that I pieced together for my student's lesson.  Upon reviewing the original condition of the Still life, my girlfriend agreed and convinced me that it was worth finishing; two sittings later I ended up with what you see in the 1st photo.

I also took a snapshot of the 2nd sitting, but had since then lost it somewhere.  Anyways, once I was convinced that I could do no more harm, the foreground & vase calmly found a place into my heart; so I framed it and a few weeks later was able to find it a new home in June.

Most importantly here, it wasn't the fact that I sold it to confirm the painting was absolutely finished, but it was purely artist's intuition I must say; and I stand by my work!!  I hope this helps you with any of your still-life painting's in question, new or old.

Daniel Carter Beard Bridge; 1st 'En Plein Air' of 2015

Today, May 4th was my first oil painting of 2015 that I'd attempted outside - en plein air; I intended to try painting outside this past winter in January or February to capture the beauty of virgin snow, but failed to do so, and making this victory that much sweeter!

The painting I posted above was just one sitting which I finished in under 2 hours today because I ran out of time, question now is: "am I done?" well funny thing is; as the alarm on my phone went off, telling me time was up: my last two brush strokes felt so good, telling me it was perfect timing to end it.

I could just as easily continue on this painting: adding detail, fixing lines, color, etc. but when it feels right, its right, and that's pretty much all I have to say..."on to the next" as they say.

This photo is where I was today and painted from, I was on a hill and had a great spot today, as I've painted this bridge a few times before.  There's one specifically that I did last year was on flat ground further up the bank, and it took more than one sitting; Although I didn't paint it at the river bank, but instead at home outside in my backyard.  

I just sold it last month and will miss it, but I'm definitely, as always, excited to move on in search of something better!

***After taking a quick break from writing this blog, unfortunately it has now come to my attention via my lovely girlfriend Michelle, that my painting could use a few finishing touches.  Ones that I could either agree with or dismiss, proving that an artists work is never truly done until they're completely satisfied, and due to this latest critique by such a treasured opinion, I must retract my: "when it feels right its right" conclusion and wait patiently til it drys; and try once again for a happy ENDing..

Picasso's 'Head': "It's a head, it's a head" and I Agree 100 Years Later.

Head  by C.T. Rasmuss, acrylic/found objects (2014).

What is a head?  Until I read The Watson Gordon Lecture 2008 with Neil Cox ; Picasso's 'Toys for Adults: Cubism as Surrealism, it never occurred to me to ask such a question.  This being, what is an object really?...especially one that we encounter on a constant basis, yet we're so unfamiliar and out of touch with at the same time.

"Writing about Head(shown below) in 1939, the then director of the MoMA in New York, described it as [o]ne of the most arbitrary and abstract of Picasso's cubist compositions in its remoteness of the object indicated by the title.  In saying this, Alfred Barr drew attention to the way the representation exists on the fringes of resemblance, and how strongly but awkwardly the title anchors around the representation to a certain kind of reading...Much later on in the 1960's, Pierre Daix discussed the work with Picasso.  The Dialogue went something like this:

Picasso:  'That's a head.'

Daix:  'That thing thing with the triangle?'

Picasso:  'But it's a head, it's a head.'"  

     Neil Cox (pgs. 10-11)

Head  Pablo Picasso, Papiers colles w/ black chalk, white gouache on cardboard (1913).

In reading this excellent lecture, I was able to directly relate a painting I did just last year, to Picasso's Head, and thereby received much gratification form it.  The fact that in it exists many properties that are in my work and to reassemble a such a work by such a great master like Picasso; I take great pride and it offers my artistic compass all the more validity.

Not only do I believe my 'Head' agrees with is, but I also have great comfort knowing that there is some part of the world out there that shares my thirst for discovery in a similar manner.  Here is another passage from the book that I believe wholeheartedly especially after reading it for the first time, is a great feeling as well:

"I General terms...to all historical works of art: how we see them is a negotiation between their presence, their persistence as physical objects that can be subjected to close scrutiny, and the structure of interpretation that have been developed subsequently in order to make sense of them...is never simple, since how we look, when we look at the work of art, is always structured or informed by our notions about it, notions that result from the history of previous interpretive language."

      - Neil Cox (pg. 22)

Closeup of 'Head' by C.T. Rasmuss (2014).

So I leave you with this: a closeup of my painting Head, and one last passage from the lecture on kid's toys, but first just a quick layout of what you see above: First you'll notice a round red nose, a clown might have with a light blue paint brush dividing painting into halves vertically, a place above where nose should be are two small, dark blue eyes, filled with emotion but hard to see via photo,then there is an angled foam brush intended as an eyebrow; I could go on, but I hope this passage by Baudelaire found in the lecture, that I leave you with helps; and that some day you may see it in person with this in mind(this goes for either Head )..

"The child twists and turns his toy, scratches it, shakes it, bumps it against the walls, throws it on the ground...at last he opens it up, he is stronger.  But where is the soul?  This is the beginning of melancholy and gloom."     

            -Baudelaire

Perhaps through art, it's possible to regain our innocence by throwing ourselves into something that is not meant to be thrown around like a senseless toy, but admired for its mystery now that we're adults.

    -C.T. Rasmuss

Frank Stella Resolution: Happy New Year 2015!

Serpentine Belt  C.T. Rasmuss, Enamel/acrylic/found objects (2014).

Let me just say up front that: like any other piece of artwork that's lavished with texture, my 'Serpentine Belt' shown above, is better seen in person, more so than other of my paintings like it; This aside, it will act as the anchor for my New Year's Resolution of 2015, which is: this will be the first of a solid series that I'll focus on throughout out the new year.  

Reason being, to create a more consistent point A to B resolution in my art this year; in the spirit of "Frank Stella's Black Paintings series", which I've provided a link to a good article on his early works and an example of his Black Paintings series which: "first announced him to the art-world of New York":

link to article by New York Times, on Frank Stella's early works

link to Frank Stella: The MoMA Collection

Marriage of Reason and Squalor   Frank Stella, aluminum paint (1959).

Of course my (Jackson Method) action painting, Expressionistic style is the opposite of Stella's Color Field - Abstract Expressionistic style, this is no matter, as what I mean to take away from his example, in his series and other ones of his like it; is his focus on a common denominator, resulting in tangible results that clearly showed up in his subsequent series, which introduced evident new ideas and techniques.

* fascinating to me how Stella's "Black" series varied very little from one to the next, but were profoundly different at the same time..

In other words...If I'm more focused in a specific series such as this one due to my Resolution, it should allow me better discipline, less distractions, and a clearer goal in mind; even though I still have the slightest idea where it will go.  And just like all artists it takes much faith to realize your efforts, and ensuring that they will be worth while.  

Serpentine Belt - closeup  C.T. Rasmuss, Enamel/acrylic/found objects (2014).

Don't get me wrong, as an artist I can focus very well, and I wish to focus on one specific idea that's simple and basic; and I wish to incorporate it through slight/varying applications, from one painting to the next, where non one is the same, and none too different so much that I end up going off into an entirely different direction(but if it happens it happens, I will just set it aside for some other time).  

The element that will be my common denominator, is going to be the new final line composition: as shown above in a closeup of 'Serpentine Belt', is the solid black enamel line over gray acrylic line, which pulls it all together.  I introduced this aspect in this painting for the very 1st time, and I myself believe it's an element that's entirely new in this very style of the Post-Pollock era; which I've been working on here n there over the last year or so.

In closing I'd have to believe that it's easier to stick with one way of doing it in Stella's Minimalist technique, than my chaotic action painting style, but what they share is: this approach makes it easy for an artist to get stuck, just like Pollock did, whereas Stella was able to move forward because of it; and talking to artist friend/colleague, John Sousa, perhaps if Jackson wouldn't have hit that tree, he may have broke on through, which is what I intend to do for him..proving that this method can work work for any artist, I guess you can call it a method of micromanagement or connoisseur-ism, benefiting the artist in a painterly way tho.

Here's to progress in 2015!  &  A Happy New Year!!!