Monet Teaches How to Hunt

Sunset out my Window, Oil by C.t. Rasmuss  10x8".

     Last night I finished up watching an original BBC miniseries on The Impressionists, it was told through the account of Claude Monet, 'the leader' of the movement; something I gained from the 177 minute partial account of this monumental art movement was: his 'hunting for the moment' (capturing the moment).
     And where the painting above is stem from, I have lived with such a view out my window for 1 year and almost 6 months; never once have I painted this beautiful and generous view.  What a shame, as I've thought about it many times, but never able to pull the trigger so to speak.  And this is why I read, buy many books, visit museum after museum, and watch many films about the masters.

On top of Mt. Bradbury enpleinair  Oil by C.t. Rasmuss  10x8"

    On top of Mt. Bradbury is my 3rd painting out of a series of 11: where I'm recuperating the $55 park fee I paid for 2018(at $5 per entry); funny thing, the entrance to Mt Bradbury State Park was free the day I went there, so technically I've still got 9 to go lol!  Interesting side note: this was the 1st official mountain I'd ever climbed (elevation of only 407 ft. but still..), and I tell you what I'm really out of shape much more than I thought!!

This next oil was on the Eastern Promenade, where I do almost 50% of my work out of doors lately:

Eastern Promenade  Oil by C.t. Rasmuss 10x8"

The next two series of works are: 1.of a still life in which I bought some fresh cut flowers, I intended to do more work from the still life but ran out of time:

Modernist Still Life  Pastels on Paper by C.t. Rasmuss 16x20"

  2.The chess board study is from my recent museum trip to Bates College Art Museum; 1st time there, the drawing is from an exhibit on Maine legend, Dahlov Ipcar, who passed away last year at age of 99(same age as Georgia O'Keefe):

Study of Dahlov Ipcar 1976 Painting Graphite on paper by C.t.Rasmuss 14x11"

Just for fun, this last one was from a coloring exercise of a Dahlov Ipcar composition at the Bates:

Painting Reality in The 21st Century

Richmond Island En Plein Air study in oil(alkyd) by C.T. Rasmuss

     In the case you have or haven't read my last post, this is number 3 on the year as far as paying for my $55 park pass, which is now $15 on the year($40 to go).  Now this isn't the lone reason I'm painting the scene of Richmond Island here, but it's good motivation for me to get out this summer and paint a good number of outdoor paintings, or studies what ever you prefer; doesn't matter much to me since all art in reality is just a study of the Grand Scheme of things!

     Speaking of reality, yes I'm aware of the reality that the art world considers Plein air painting as long dead(kitch), along with painting sailboats, the ocean, and perhaps anything recognizable or even moral much of the time; but I don't paint for the art-world and I certainly outgrew my need to be accepted or popular long ago.  I believe in the true world made by the greatest creator of all-GOD!!!   Although much of the time The World seems to have gone Mad, and the art-world with it:

    I'm gonna do the best damn! job I can of embracing every bit of reality in which I can latch onto, it's my perception that with the hopes that I'll be able to communicate this same hope others, those who are in the same boat, wanting to survive these crashing waves of modern day civil destruction.

preliminary sketch of Richmond Island, Graphite on paper C.t. Rasmuss

     Don't let the despair of what the world seems to want to make you see, but search tirelessly with the rest of us that search for GOD, trust me he speaks to us all, every moment of existence, you just have to find a way to listen and communicate, as do I.  So this may be an outdated method of painting to the art world, but I don't paint for them I paint for myself, my soul and a way to share with others what I've been up to:) 

sketch of Portland Headlight in cartouche, Graphite on paper, C.t. Rasmuss

En Plein Air in Cape Elizabeth, Maine

     The image your about to see is not my best photo of an image I've ever taken, but certainly not the worst; however the photos of the actual site off the Atlantic coast in which I painted are not so bad, as they were taken from a camera phone.  Also the small composition sketch served its original purpose, as to which the final outcome of the actual oil painting I'm well pleased:

     I'm at the mercy of the public library, and the photo editor choice is between Paint and Gimp, Paint sucks and Gimp is beyond me.  So this is the best I can do today as I have a limited amount of time here.

     Whats really important to communicate in this post is my basic process of En Plein air, particularly the day last week which I painted this seascape.  In reverse order the photos are: but I arrive at the ocean front, pay my parking fee which is normally 5 dollars, but I bought a Maine State parks pass at $55 for the entire year.  This park was 2 Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth, next time I'm going to go on top of an old military bunker and paint a view of Richmond Island from the view at Two Lights.

     Anyhow one of my missions this summer was to at least do 12 paintings in the surrounding State parks, that way I'll at least break even on the pass, good motivation I suppose; but back to my process, the short and sweet version as the accompanying pictures(again in reverse order) should be worth a thousand words:

     I set up my easel, scout the area for best placement of said easel, draw the composition I decide on, if it works then I snap a photo or two, if not I sketch another composition and finalize my easel placement once I'm satisfied w/ a composition, I then paint til I'm finished, snap more photos as I see fit, break camp and then go home...with a grand smile of accomplishment!  

    Then start the process all over again as soon as I'm able, It's already late August, and I still have 10 to go..lol!  Wish me luck;)

Wild Daisies Plucked From a Concrete Curb.

     Last Spring as I was driving around town on a beautiful night just south of where I lived, I noticed a small bunch of wild daisies sprouting out of the side of a curb, as I was stopped at a traffic light.  As soon as the green light gave me the signal I was on my way again as I took a left down the next road to wherever it was I was going; then it occurred to me, the path I was on wasn't a definite one, so: "why not turn around and bring those daisies home and put them to use, they were fine where they were, and since they were growing on a curb out into a public street, they weren't technically anyone's property.
    
       Nonetheless, I pulled up quickly to the curb, jumped out with my scissor already in hand and with a couple of forceful and swift snips, they were in my possession and I quickly got into my car, placing them carefully in the passenger seat as if they were my newly welcomed guests!
   
       I place them in water that night as soon as I got home, I had not a real vase so I use the next best thing and place them in a red drinking container, that I got from my bank as an apology for a mistake I'd brought to their attention; It worked out for the best as this deep interesting red went nicely with my curbside Daisies.  So the next few days these flowers were put to good use up until they ran out of life, and as you can see below they do still exist.  These 5 Still Life are what I produced, and one photograph I took to document their existence as they really looked as a reference.

 These photos are in chronological order, the mediums I use are a range of Gouache, pastel, oil pastel, pencil/graphite and watercolors..all 11x14 in size.

The next two images are a bonus as they are abstract, and possibly the last one a type of self portrait, in reaction if you will from the fury as to which the 5 Still Lifes I painted:

2 Acrylic Still Lifes by CT Rasmuss

              22x24" acrylic by ctrasmuss

16x20" acrylic by ctrasmuss

The above two works of art, that I've recently finished are in their final states as far as I'm concerned; I'm quite satisfied with their outcomes...especially the backgrounds I created around them!
  In this short blog, I've also included some of the notes and previous stages of these paintings below: