Sunday, November 8, 2009
New Painting in Process
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Saturday, November 7, 2009
Artist Francis Bacon
Above is the work Francis Bacon, Irish born, English artist. He is very famous for extreme paintings that depict violent, repressed and anxious feelings. The reason I like his work is that it's so personal, so intense and not mainstream. His art has impact born of a terrific talent, scarred past and deep emotion. No, it's not pretty but it is powerful. The paintings come from his soul. There is great painterly quality in Bacon's work, the scrubbing and changing and moving of the paint on the surface of the canvas pulls the viewer into the art. This style works to bring more intensity to the emotional content of the work.
Growing up in Ireland, Francis Bacon experienced violence at an early age. He described an experience of hiding in a ditch and viewing a violent political murder as a small boy. He was forever marked by his insecure an violent childhood. A lot is made of the fact that Bacon was gay. At the time he was alive it was less accepted but also he had wild life, gambling, drinking in London's Soho which was somewhat a reflection on his life choice. He called this lifestyle, "rough trade".
He was born in 1909 and died in 1992. In his last years he settled down and lived a quiet life. I saw photos of his studio with trash piled everywhere. He liked the chaos and felt that was the best soil for his creative life.
An interesting quote by Margaret Thatcher concerning Francis Bacon: "that man who paints those dreadful pictures." Dreadful? Maybe. Life can be dreadful and for Bacon it was his place and his time to give meaning to the feeling of anxiety that a violent past produces.
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Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Original Oil Paintings Add Character and Personality to Your Living Space.
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Monday, November 2, 2009
Going Foward, Painting in process, not yet finished...
Padre Island Painting that really has nothing at all to do with Padre Island. It is my mental image of what it should look like.
This one is going slow because I'm not getting much time. However, at this point it's my favorite of this series.
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Monday, October 26, 2009
Colorist Wolf Kahn
Kahn is a colorist but unlike some of the colorists of the early 20th century he incorporates realism or an effect of images that frequently look realistic in his paintings and drawings. They are very creative in the sense that he is not copying nature but using nature to inspire a form of abstract art that has a look of realism. He is a magnificent artist, to be sure.
Wolf Kahn was born in Germany and came to the US when he was young. He studied in a variety of places but probably most influential was the time he studied with the famous abstract artist, Hans Hoffmann, who is known for his use of color. Kahn got his degree from the University of Chicago and that must be when my former professor met him.
Wolf Kahn is still alive and painting. His work is available for viewing on the internet and worth the time to check out.
Friday, October 16, 2009
New Cubistic Painting
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Botero: best-selling artist in the world?
In terms of being a famous artist or an unknown artist, what difference does it make? In the end the only assessment of the life of an artist is how well I do my art at the time I'm doing it. Van Gogh never knew he would be famous after he died. He struggled along side other artists whose names we do not know today. If both Van Gogh and the unknown artist did their work with equal feeling and passion, who cares? Certainly, it didn't make Van Gogh a happier man or the other artist any less happy.
Back to Botero, his work is weird. If you haven't seen it, google him and see what he has to offer. I have never decided one way or the other if I like his work. He paints big, obese people in a funny way. His work is fun to look at. Not bad for the man who may be the world's best-selling artist.
http://www.charlotterossmann.com/
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Saturday, October 10, 2009
More on Suzanne Valadon
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Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Suzanne Valadon: a Famous Woman Artist that I admire
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Thursday, September 24, 2009
Inspirational woman artist: Georgia O'Keefe
Georgia O'Keefe was a rarity in her time. As the story goes the reason she was not ignored as an artist was that she had a powerful mentor, Alfred Stieglitz. He was a photographer and also active in the art community in New York City. There was a great age difference and he as the older, experienced, knowledgeable photographer was able to guide her career.
When O'Keefe was in college, before Stieglitz came into her life another student (male) asked her to pose for him. She declined and his reply was that she would end up teaching in a girl's school somewhere and he would go on to be a famous artist. She relented and posed for a portrait.
We all know the impetuousness of youth! Of course, this is one of those cocky comments a college student might make but needless to say the this artist did not go on to be famous. The most famous work he did was the portrait of Georgia O'Keefe. In fact, I would venture the opinion that the most famous photographs that Alfred Stieglitz did were the many portraits of Georgia O'Keefe.
Her work is wonderful but her life is also a work of art. She was adventurous. She was opinionated. She was outspoken. She lived her life in a way that most women did not in those days. Rough, rugged and independent she lived alone in New Mexico after Stieglitz died.
Her life was long. She died at the age of 98 but Stieglitz was her only husband. She did not have children. I read that she wanted to have a child but Stieglitz said no. He said it would ruin her as an artist. In those days people believed in some of the Freudian nonsense about women. If she didn't have a child, she was more like a man. If she had a child, she would lose her creative edge.
Fortunately, today women can have children and paintings as well. Alice Neel managed to do both. Suzanne Valadon was an excellent painter and mother to the artist Maurice Utrillo. I know that Frida Kahlo was pregnant but she did not deliver a healthy child.
If you can think of another truly famous female artist who was also a mother, please comment.
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Sunday, September 20, 2009
How do artists survive?
My art did not support me but by staying with it, my painting improved over the years. Later when my kids were teenagers and I got divorced, I returned to Southern Illinois University, finished my Bachelor's degree in fine art and got a teaching license. After that I worked as an art teacher until this year. The economy slam dunked me along with other issues, I suppose. Suddenly, my job was cut due to "budget cuts".
Unemployed! Now, I'm a substitute teacher which at the moment is working. It also gives me freedom which I am enjoying. For every artist there is a different story, it's the patchwork of what we do to survive.
Over and over I've heard, "Don't give up". I agree with that for one reason, it's simply not an option. If you love to do something, you will do it. What choice do you really have?
Vist me at: http://www.charlotterossmann.com/
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Sunday, September 13, 2009
It Was A Dark and Gloomy Night: Art and The Appropriateness of Display
A number of years ago I worked at a bookstore in Longmont, Co. It was called "City Newstand". This was before the age of Borders and other monster bookstores. It was a quaint, little store in an old downtown building that people enjoyed just walking through. The store, with the smell of popcorn in the air, old fashioned fans that hung down from high ceilings and polished wooden floors was a lively place to work. At times I was in charge of arranging the display window. One time I did a "MYSTERY" window with the theme and setting reflecting: "It was a dark and gloomy night"... and a knife was in the window along with an old fashioned typewriter, paper in the carriage with the phrase above. I had wine glasses, books and other details that enhanced the theme.
I thought it was artfully done but a couple came in and complained to management. Their complaint was the knife in the window along with the theme. In the recent past they had lost a teenage daughter who was murdered outside of town at a quick stop type of store on the highway. Very sad and very disturbing. I can't remember what the outcome was but it was a complaint that gave us pause.
With art we never know how it's going to affect others. It's difficult to foresee what impact art will have on the viewer. What I saw as just funny and maybe a little edgy for Longmont in the 1980's, another saw as a sign of our times, too violent.
If our art is shown we bear the responsibility of the appropriateness of it for the viewers. Long ago when I was in college our group tried to show life studies that were of course nudes in a publishing house in St. Louis. We were required to take them down. As young college students we were angry. At that time we all thought the people who objected were narrow minded, provincial and just plain wrong. Nude drawings are not obscene! Life drawing is the essence of what art education is about! How more human can you get than learning to draw the naked human body? Long discussions over coffee late at night followed this outrage. So young, so passionate and so sure we were right but were we?
Today I feel pretty much the same but I'm no longer surprised or angry. It's a fact of life. Each individual views art differently. I don't know that we can always cater to the public in art displays or that we should but sometimes we don't have a choice. In our own displays and in most galleries we can show our art in any way we want if we are given a show. Outside of that, showing at a business or in a public area we can't always be free. They do have a right to say no and I accept that. Finally.
http://www.charlotterossmann.com/
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Saturday, September 12, 2009
New Painting in Progress: Cubism
Check out this link:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cube/hd_cube.htm
It is a great article on Cubism. Although, they don't give Cezanne credit. Look at his work and see what you think. I still think he is the first cubist painter.
I like other abstract styles as well. I have done abstract expressionism. It's not as easy as one might believe. To really be good at it one has to live and breath a style. I personally think it's much more difficult to get into a style of art with authority unless you commit to it. It's easy to slap paint on a canvas but there is a great difference without commitment. The depth that comes from living the style the way Jackson Pollack did in his art shows in the painting.
For this reason I don't do much abstract expressionism but I do have a couple of paintings from about 1992 that I did at SIU that are very abstract/expressionistic. I like them well enough to hang them.
I don't question that some artists do crazy things just to get attention but we can't just assume that when viewing art. There is no rhyme or reason to the art scene. Like human beings it's multi faceted and has greater depth than one might assume on the surface.
visit: http://www.charlotterossmann.com/
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Monday, August 31, 2009
Bold, Bright and Beautiful: Chicano Art
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Thursday, August 27, 2009
New Padre Painting in Progress, Van Gogh's Ear and Gauguin
Since I wrote about Gauguin I can't stop thinking about him. His life from a distance seems so colorful but by today's standards he was a scoundrel or worse. Leaving his family, taking up with very young girls in Tahiti and dying basically of syphilis is not considered good, clean fun in this day and age. Yet his art is so powerful. What his art says to me is this is what it's like to live in paradise. Now they are saying that Gauguin cut off Van Gogh's ear instead of Vincent cutting off his own ear as we have thought for so long. According to new research Vincent and Paul had an argument. Paul who was very good with a sword, defended himself from the "madman" and cut off Van Gogh's ear. Van Gogh protected his friend by inventing the story that we all know.
How can we teach art history anymore now that the most colorful scene: Van Gogh cutting off his ear and giving to a prostitute (of course I cleaned that part up and called her his girlfriend) is no longer accurate?
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Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Am I Finished?

Now, I'm at that point with both the first Padre Painting and the Little Teapot painting of asking myself, "Am I finished?"
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Sunday, August 23, 2009
Padre Island Paintings In Progress
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Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Decorating with Modern Art

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Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Making of a Painting
Painting in Progress....| Reactions: |
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
What is Cubism?
Then again, there are those who say that Picasso stole his ideas from the African masks that he saw on exhibit in Paris at the time he was inventing this new art style of Abstraction. Looking at Picasso's strictly cubistic work, one can understand that claim.
In the world of art, the question is: Does it knock your socks off? Picasso's work has lasting success partially because it speaks so well to the modern world.
The painting shown is one of my South St. Louis oil paintings on Canvas and it is done in the Cubistic style. I'm planning to have a print made of it.
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Sunday, August 9, 2009
Add a little Drama to your life!


These paintings add drama and excitement to a modern decorating scheme. When decorating a living space people often forget the value of adding original contemporary art. Design, Color and Imagination add up to create a unique look to a home.
More paintings like this can be seen on http://www.charlotterossmann.com/
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Monday, August 3, 2009
Big City Jivin' Available for Purchase!

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Saturday, August 1, 2009
Updated web pages

This is one of my newer paintings on my webpages. It's oil on masonite. I've been doing a lot painting on masonite. Originally it was because I wanted to do some quick studies and masonite seems good for that. Now I'm just having fun with it.
It's different than canvas...good is that the surface is hard and doesn't seep like canvas does. The bad is that it needs framing but it's less expensive and easier to prepare.
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Sunday, July 26, 2009
Homeless lady sells work on streets
The paintings were a novelty back then. She sold then for as little as $5 and as much as $250 or so. Sometimes she would find an offer insulting and refuse to sell them at all.
For those who have held onto Lee's work, the news is encouraging. They have sold at auction recently in the thousand-dollar range.
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Saturday, July 25, 2009
Date Night:New Painting on ETSY

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Monday, July 20, 2009
David Hockney, a favorite artist!
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Framing and Art

Sunday, July 12, 2009
Inspired by the artist Robert Delaunay
Original Oil Painting "Day Dreaming, Carnival, Sea Creatures": $350. 18" by 24" oil on masonite by Charlotte Rossmann.Long ago way back in college, I came across the artwork of the artist Robert Delaunay (1884-1941). He was a French cubist painter and I love the way he handles paint. It's not just his wonderful colors or his use of color but also how he makes the paint work. Within his abstract, colorful abstractions he models the paint, shading with color which gives his work depth and character.
To see Robert Delaunay's work, check out this website:
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Picasso Invents Abstract Art!

Yep, way back in about 1900 when Picasso was an unknown artist living in Paris he struggled through his own personal crisis to invent a new kind of art. It was called Cubism. He went to create many more art styles but for the most part no matter what he did the early roots of Cubism were seen in his art work.
There are those who say he stole the ideas he saw in African sculptures to create cubism. The fact is, that's the way art is. It's not called stealing, it's called sharing.
No, this is not a Picasso, it's a Charlotte Rossmann painting in oil on hardboard. I've always loved Picasso and it's my own way of paying homage to a great master. This painting is for sale. You can contact me at charrossmann@aol.com
Please visit my website: www.charlotterossmann.com
Friday, June 26, 2009
The Best of the Best: Alice Neel

One of the best artists in the world I think is Alice Neel. No, this is not the work of Alice Neel, it is a small painting by Charlotte Rossmann, probably influenced by Neel. Not being sure of the laws concerning stealing an image off another website I will instead insert a link to Alice Neel's work: http://www.aliceneel.com/home/
Alice was born in 1900 in Philadelphia, her life was dramatic in so many ways. She lived through exciting times. She struggled as a single mother on welfare and as an artist. She had deep, dark demons like so many creative people. She died in 1984 but her art lives on.
I totally love the work of Alice Neel. I saw an exhibit at the Denver Art Museum some years ago and her work is wonderful in person. Expressionistic and deep. It bring the viewer into her emotions and her life. It was not a pretty life. Her art reflects the reality of those intense experiences.
A few years ago I bought several books on Alice Neel and for a brief time, I felt her spirit within. Channeling? It's happened once or twice before. No matter, I have strong connection to this incredible woman artist.
One strange fact is that even though I have a degree in fine art and I studied a lot of art history, I did not study the art of Alice Neel at the university. I found her on my own many years ago in an Art News magazine. Funny how that works isn't it?
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Cake Watercolor
This Original Watercolor and ink 4" by 5" is available for purchase contact me charrossmann@aol.com for details. The black border is not a part of the image.
Sugar Cream Frosting
Cake Baking
Wedding Cake Delight
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