New Painting in Process

Unfinished Painting Above by Charlotte Rossmann

This painting is a 3 foot by 4 foot oil painting on canvas that I've just started.  It will take some time to finish.  This is a painting on commission for a nice couple who lives in Santa Fe and contacted me from my website.  They wanted a large Southwestern painting for their dining room.  Because Santa Fe is a nice place to visit, I'm planning to deliver the painting in person.  How about that for good customer service?

Artist Francis Bacon

Study for Self-Portrait by Artist Francis Bacon

Crucify 3 by Artist Francis Bacon

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.

Original Oil Paintings Add Character and Personality to Your Living Space.

Paintings on the wall in my house.

People underestimate the power of original art hanging on the walls.  It provides a unique touch to any home.  It gives life and character to your living space.  Yes, it costs money but the value is there for a lifetime.

http://www.charlotterossmann.com/

Going Foward, Painting in process, not yet finished...

Newest Painting approaching completion
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.

Colorist Wolf Kahn

Above Painting is one I did based on New Mexico Travels.  See more: http://www.charlotterossmann.com/

When I went back to Southern Illinois University to get my undergrad degree, I had been painting for many years. I already had my own style, cubistic and totally abstract. My painting professor told me that my use of color reminded him of a former classmate of his, Wolf Kahn. I had no clue who Wolf Kahn was. Later, of course, I did find out.
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.

New Cubistic Painting

I've been working on this painting for quite a number of weeks.  I think it's finally finished.

Botero: best-selling artist in the world?

A number of years ago I watched a TV show on the artist Botero. At that time two things struck me. One is that he said he was the best-selling artist in the world. This was quite awhile ago. Don't remember details about this but the indication was that he was quite successful. The other thing that struck me was that he said something to the effect of...if an artist paints in obscurity for a lifetime, it's one of the bravest things a person can do. I  don't agree with that but I liked the idea that he gave thought to those of us who are out here in the great wilds of obscurity who have been painting for a lifetime. Brave? No. I believe that we really have no choice. Given something of value to do with a life or given nothing, I'm choosing something of value. My point is if I didn't paint out here in the deep forest of the "unknown" what would I do?  If a person is an artist, that's what they do.  There's nothing brave about it.

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/

More on Suzanne Valadon

website: http://www.charlotterossmann.com/

In reading more about Suzanne Valadon I detect an underlying problem of alcoholism.  Her son, Maurice Utrillo, was an alcoholic.  She struggled to keep him out of jail.  One of the important paintings she posed for was Toulouse-Lautrec's wonderful painting called, "The Hangover".  Of course she might have been acting but I doubt it.  I suspect Lautrec saw this in her and it inspired the painting.  After all, this is a woman who spent many of her nights in the bars.  This is how she met her many lovers/husbands as well as artists who befriended her and helped her.  In her 50's she married an artist in his 20's which was probably scandalous in those days. 

I do wonder how she managed to spend so much of her time at night drinking in the bars while she was raising a young son and supporting him as well.  These are the details that I wish to find and cannot.

At least one of her amours called her the only love of his life and found his life to be empty when she left.  He was the composer, Erik Satie.  Without a doubt she left a lasting impression on her part of the world.  She is known for her strong, female, nude paintings.  Before Valadon women were frequently painted as passive and weak but Suzanne, a physically able woman, gave the world a more healthy look at women's strength and abilities.  No wimp, this Valadon lady! 

One has to think she didn't have that much money in her life. She couldn't have had the safety net of middle class security. I think it's interesting that at one point she did marry a banker. They lived together for 14 years but suddenly, she became restless and that is when she left him for the younger artist and went back to her preferred bohemian lifestyle.

She was an illegitimate daughter of a laundress and she had a son without the benefit of marriage. Those were strict societal taboos of the time which would have placed her outside the norm, outside the acceptable.  Yet, this is a woman who is known today as a famous artist, even today. Growing up poor, making something of herself in the world of art on her own terms.

What an unlikely occurrence that this woman would have become famous and have a famous son. Yet, it happened! This was who she was and the world of art is richer for her existence.

Suzanne Valadon: a Famous Woman Artist that I admire

Please visit my website: http://www.charlotterossmann.com/

Suzanne Valadon had a very colorful life.  Born in 1865, she started out as a circus acrobat but a fall from a trapeze ended that career early.  Soon she became a model for many of the most famous artists of the time including Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec.  Lautrec gave her painting lessons and Degas encouraged her artistic career and purchased her work.

Valadon was a free spirit and lived her life on her own terms.  She kept a goat in her studio to eat up all the art work she didn't consider fit to show.  When she was 18 and unmarried, she had a child, Maurice Valadon.  Her son later took the name of a family friend and became the well-known artist, Maurice Utillo.

Suzanne, as a model, was the subject in many famous paintings by the artist Renior with whom she had an affair and also in Lautrec's paintings. She was a well-known artist at the time of her death in 1938.

Inspirational woman artist: Georgia O'Keefe

Watercolor painting of western scenery.

More contemporary, western scenery on my website: www.charlotterossmann.com

For many women artists, Georgia O'Keefe has been the most inspirational artist. When I was in college as a young student I didn't know of many famous women artists. O'Keefe and Cassett were it. When I went back to college in the 1990's I took a few classes in art history specifically about women artists. I learned that there were, indeed, a lot of women artists and very good women artists throughout history but they had been ignored.  As good as they were, they were not famous.

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. 

How do artists survive?

New Padre Island Painting in Progress...

How DO artists survive? This question has haunted me for all of my lifetime. Even at an older age, I have yet to find the answer. The best I can come up with is that it's a patchwork of opportunities and options. We jump through one hoop only to find the next and the next to survive and pay the bills.

I was 16 when I decided I had to be an artist. Even at that age, I knew the realities. I didn't know anyone who was an artist. Everyone told me art is not an option but I wouldn't give it up. After high school I enrolled in the local Junior College and started on a commercial art program. I soon found out, the program didn't exist. I ended up getting a pretty good start on learning the basics of fine art. Shortly, I got married and we both went to Southern Illinois University for a year. I kept painting as I raised children. Every once in awhile I took a few classes in art, painting and or life drawing. When my first child was a baby, I started selling my artwork in St. Louis at local galleries and art displays.

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/

It Was A Dark and Gloomy Night: Art and The Appropriateness of Display

It was a dark and gloomy night and suddenly from another part of the house she heard a crash!  She was alone in the old mansion, the sound startled her....

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/

New Painting in Progress: Cubism

I love the complication of Cubism.  It is creative and inventive but there are some rules: breaking down forms and adding angles/facets; working with color and value. 
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/

Bold, Bright and Beautiful: Chicano Art

Oil Painting on Canvas by Charlotte Rossmann, Cityscape

A great number of years ago I saw an exhibit at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art in Boulder, Co.  It was Chicano art.  This was the first time I had ever seen art that was specifically "Chicano Art" but I loved it.  The colors were bold, bright and beautiful.  The images were of daily things, cars, religious images and city scenes.   One artwork was a sculpture with an actual cut up car in it.  From that moment on I've been a huge fan of Chicano art.  What I really like about it is that it's a combination of another culture and yet, it is still American.  It's how this country melts cultures into a force that has vitality and energy.  Chicano art is vivid, real and intense.  Each artist has his/her own vision and yet, by the culture and by the bold colors it becomes part of the larger group identity. 

Cheech Marin has brought Chicano art to the art world by showing many of the artists in displays and in books.  I have one book that Cheech Marin assembled and it's called "Chicano Visions, American Painters on the Verge".  I highly recommend the book.

Check out my website:     http://www.charlotterossmann.com/

Art Show

New Padre Painting in Progress, Van Gogh's Ear and Gauguin

So far, I'm enjoying this painting. It's been fun. I'm at the point of thinking about the next one and I have to stretch more canvas. I just love it when I have a lot of paintings in progress.

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?

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?"

Surprisingly, this is not an easy answer. Sometimes I think I'm finished and end up going back to a painting even a year or more later. The extra time looking at it creates inspiration. Hey! I'm not alone. I read that Picasso did this. In fact, one of his wives (maybe the last one) had to take paintings out of his studio to keep him from working on them forever and ever.

http://www.charlotterossmann.com/

Padre Island Paintings In Progress

Above is the "Old Padre" painting in process. This week I hope to finish it. I plan to glaze the water and work on a few more touches. Below is the New Padre Painting that I started on this week. It's bigger than the first. So far, I like the lay-out better in the new one. This is a fun series.

The only artist off-hand that I can think of that did tropical settings is Gauguin. But then, what an artist! And what a dramatic life he lived. He decided to abandon his steady job as a stockbroker, leave his wife and five kids and move first to Paris, then Martinique to do his art. After a few months there he moved to Arles with Van Gogh for another few months and then to Tahiti in 1891 where he lived until his death in 1903.

To what extent can a person go to follow their dream? If Gauguin had not left his family his art would not be likely to have the appeal that it does today. On the other hand his wife and children certainly suffered for his decision. They moved in with her family for support. That could not have been easy. Gauguin died in poverty but after his death he became a famous modern master.

Please visit my website: http://www.charlotterossmann.com/

Decorating with Modern Art

Original artwork looks good in any home. Frequently, I visit beautifully decorated homes with expensive furnishings and yet, on the walls I see drab, impersonal artwork that looks like it was picked up from a bin in a local discount store.

Art adds drama, personality and character to a home. It's more important than the furnishings for providing the personal, quirky and unique touch to a setting. Yet, art is something that many people forget about when decorating. Why?

I think there are a number of reasons. One is that it's confusing. People might be afraid to choose something they think won't fit, won't co-ordinate or otherwise will be unsuitable in some way. They may feel insecure about their lack of understanding of art. In addition, it's not necessarily easy to find original art. We artists think it's everywhere but for the most part it's not anywhere!

Think about it. Where do you see original artwork? Unless you go out of your way, you don't.

Many of us artists keep our artwork under lock and key, never to see the light of day. I'm guilty of this. I've kept most of my art work in my studio not wanting to bother with art marketing which is always difficult. Now that I'm thinking about a new life, working on art full time, I'm considering the options for showing artwork.

As far as not being sure of what types of artwork to choose, feeling insecure about art knowledge, it comes down the obvious, "Can I live with this?" Further, "Do I love it?" "Is it something that I find interesting and can look at for a long period of time?' A successful painting will keep you looking and each time you will find something different, something new, something that speaks to you at that moment. It's not necessary to co-ordinate styles of furniture or colors with styles of art as you can see in this photo. A friend of mine has a beautiful, traditional home and yet, he chooses to put in these contemporary paintings. They look good, they are striking and appealing. One person who collects artwork told me not to worry about matching colors, art has many different colors in it and it's surprising how it will add and compliment in ways that we didn't notice before the art was hung on the wall. If you look at this photo, the colors in the paintings don't match the colors in the room and yet, it adds to the decor by splashing in color. My friend loves these paintings and for him these were the right choice because he loves the eclectic look of traditional furnishings and contemporary art.

I have tons of paintings hanging in my house but I've never liked furniture much so the furnishings are sparse. Once in showing my home I said, "The house is bare, not much furniture." The person said to me, "All anyone ever sees in your house is all the beautiful paintings!" There you go, no interest in fancy furniture? Buy original art! That will direct the eye to what is important and support a local artist at the same time.

In the end, the advice I would give for those who wish to decorate with modern art is buy what you love. Art enriches and enhances any decorating scheme.

Please visit my website www.charlotterossmann.com

Making of a Painting

Painting in Progress....

This is the second stage of my daily painting. I would have worked longer but it got to the point of too much wet paint and I had to stop.

This painting is a result of my trip in July to Padre Island. Whereas, I admit it does not look like Padre Island or at least where I was. We were in North Padre and it was like a desert. It was a wonderful vacation but it wasn't as tropical as I thought it would be. The water and beaches were great but I was expecting Belize!

I had my heart set on painting what "I thought it would look like". For several weeks I just didn't get it. Finally, I realized.."Okay, you are an artist create it!"

So, here we are! It's not my Padre Island Vacation but it was inspired by my Padre Island vacation.

Stay tuned for the next installment.

www.charlotterossmann.com

What is Cubism?

Cubism is a style of art work that was started by the artist Cezanne. It was considered one of the first truly abstract styles in art. Cezanne's beautiful canvas oil paintings of French landscapes and complicated still life were complex compositions that he painted from life. But by today's standards they don't look very abstract. However, Cezanne changed and invented by breaking down the forms into planes and geometric slashes of color. In the day he was painting, changing the scene in a creative way wasn't what other artists were doing. It was shocking to the art community when Cezanne started showing his revolutionary work in Paris.

Cezanne's concept was expanded but the forms simplified by Picasso and Braque who are credited as the first cubists. Without Cezanne one wonders if it would have happened?
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 reality, it doesn't matter.

What matters is, "How does it look?" "How interesting is it?"

Picasso's work does look good. It's very interesting.
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.

Currently, I'm still working on my website but as impatient as I am, I do have it up and running. Pardon the flaws and feel free to email any questions: http://www.charlotterossmann.com/

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/

Big City Jivin' Available for Purchase!

This giclee print was professionally done by a studio in Boulder, Co for me. It's 10" by 14" with a white border around it. The paper is top quality Someset Velvet Radiant White.

Price is $50 which includes shipping.

Interested? Click on the ETSY link!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28745544

This style of work, creating the effect of movement by distorting the images comes from looking at folk art, regional art and certain artists from the 1930's. The artist Charles Burchfield did some very interesting paintings. More about this artist: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_E._Burchfield

An artist's style comes from looking at art, working, continuing to see, observe and study.

http://www.charlotterossmann.com/ for more paintings

Updated web pages

This week I have updated my web page.

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.

http://www.charlotterossmann.com/

Homeless lady sells work on streets

Smaller Southwest Landscape oil on canvas by Charlotte Rossmann. I plan to add it to my "for sale list" soon. It's about 14" by 18". I think I exhibited it in a gallery in Niwot a few years ago. It's a nice little painting.

In the 1970's and '80's, hundreds of Chicagoans bought paintings from Lee Godie, a bag lady who called herself a French Impressionist and sold her paintings in downtown parks and on the steps of the Art Institute.
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.

Read More at: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/whats-it-worth/2009/06/lee-godie.html

www.charlotterossmann.com for more paintings

Date Night:New Painting on ETSY

"Southwest Party, Evening Date", 24" by 26" this oil on canvas is stretched around the sides so it doesn't need a frame. Romantic night on the town? You bet! If you live in New Mexico. This painting was inspired by my year of traveling frequently to NM when I was represented by galleries in Taos and Santa Fe. One summer I took to the back roads and traveled from Denver to Las Cruces on state highways. Hey! Let me tell you state highways in NM are ISOLATED. I searched towns to live in. It was a dream but too many connections here in Colorado to leave. Like any place there are good and bad things about NM. The bad for me is big bugs. I admit it, I'm a wimp when it comes to tarantulas, roaches and scorpions.

Concerning Date Night, for quite awhile I did a lot of dating. Interesting experience. Could write a book on it!

Interested in purchasing this painting? I have it listed on ETSY: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7736595

David Hockney, a favorite artist!

This painting is one of my New Mexico paintings http://www.charlotterossmann.com/ . I love the area around Santa Fe and feel inspired when I go down there. I like to do abstracted landscapes of specific areas I have visited.

David Hockney is an artist who felt inspired in the same way when he went to California. He was originally from England but lives in California now. He liked the light and the lifestyle of southern California. In fact, my favorite paintings of his are those he did of the Los Angeles area. He uses a lot of patterns, abstract ideas and bright colors. Some of his work is realistic but I like his abstractions the best.

Here's a link to his website for more information: http://www.hockneypictures.com/

Framing and Art

My significant other and I decided to start framing my overwhelming amount of artwork. We started with this very small painting (11" by 14").

He has a woodworking shop in his basement and scraps. He made this frame in an hour. He said it would go faster when we get it worked out. I quickly brought it home to my studio and painted it. He said, "Oh No! It wasn't finished." Not knowing about woodworking, I didn't get it until he told me that the seams should have been "filled". Oh well. Next time, huh?

I have many abstract oil paintings, the number grows each day. I plan to slowly frame them all.

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:

http://wwar.com/masters/d/delaunay-robert.html

To see more of Charlotte Rossmann's artwork, check out my website: http://www.charlotterossmann.com/

What Is the Market For Abstract Art in America?

If you have the answer, suggestions or feedback, please comment below.

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

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?

Oil on canvas 12" by 12"

Cake Watercolor

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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