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Carol Rusaw
USA
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“I realized that art is not photographically accurate, but it contains subtleness that imparts meaning - the essence or spiritual aspects of existence.”
In the landscapes and seascapes, I paint in oil, I follow an impressionist style rather than realistic one. To me, that is the reality artists attempt to create. What we see, touch, feel, taste, and experience exists only for a short time, and what appears to us is only a fraction of completeness. Our roles as artists are to communicate as completely as we can, our impressions at any given time through our own sensory filters and hope they resonate with our audiences.
Chemung River Summer Memories | Oil
$650
11 X 14
This painting was based on a photograph of a field in summer. But I added the Chemung River and the hills behind it based on memories of where I grew up in Upstate New York.
My career began with the idea that art must be as technically accurate and complete as possible to convey meaning. I was a draftsman-illustrator with the Air Force. I had to draw images according to specifications that would be used for briefings.
Indian Lake Twilight | Oil
$500
18 X 24
Indian Lake Twilight is based on imressions I have of traveling through the Rockies. It may not be a single, actual place, but a composite of the mountains I remember greeting days' end.
To me, photos could convey more accurate depictions. I had taken a class in high school that introduced me to the classic impressionist oil painters. I took only this class and a few commercial art classes in college. They gave me a deeper understanding of what art, rather than illustration, was about.
“I use insights, along with experiences as a writer with the people I interact with.”
I strove for understanding, and developed it not through art, but through literature. In college, I majored in English and planned to be a writer. I discovered that creative writing didn’t put bread on the table, however, and quickly focused my goals on journalism and teaching.
Milk and Honey on the Other Side | Oil
$450
11 X 14
The painting is based on photos of a path leading to a swampy area at twilight. I added the background mountains and trees to convey more context and to suggest a feeling of day's passing. I also had the feelings of life moving to another level of existence.
The painting is based on a photograph showing the mountain in a more obsure foggy context. I re-intepreted the context to convey more brilliance coming through the peak and added a creek leading up to it.
Cathedral Mountain | Oil
$600
24 X 30
I became an advertising copywriter and reporter and eventually taught English to adults. My interests in teaching and eventually studying organizational behavior, leadership, and management led me into a management role in government.
“Art helps us realize our own gifts and potentials and strengthens bonds within ourselves, nature, and people around us. As catalysts for creating bonds, artists help decode the relationships and communicate them in what we produce.”
“Art has helped me navigate the many changes in my own life experiences, but also opened doors to creative growth.”
After earning a Master’s degree in Public Administration and a Doctor of Education in Adult Education and Human Resource Development, I developed a management and organizational development career in the federal government. This led to teaching those subjects at the University of Connecticut, the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, and North Dakota State University.
Oregon Coast Sunset | Oil
$500
16 X 20
A photo of the Oregon coast was used, but I put the image in a sunset motif to convey the subtlties of light, particularly in the mauves, pinks, and yellows, at the close of day.
In my experiences as a manager and project manager, I designed, developed, taught, administered, and evaluated a variety of training programs for managers, supervisors, executives, and leaders. But I also was the program director for organizational development programs in government agencies that involved culture change, team building, leadership, and executive development. In these programs, I helped individuals assess the current status, needs, opportunities, and obstacles to change, and creating a work environment that empowered members' performance and commitment as well as created an actionable vision for productivity.
Nova Scotia Shoreline | Oil
$500
11 X 14
The painting is based on a photo of a damp and foggy Nova Scotia shore, but I added the distant trees and hills. I also highlighted some pines atop a rocky clifff to indicate their stalwart temperaments.
In between the graduate coursework and my career, I took classes in painting sporadically. But these accelerated after I had retired from government. The artwork I began to produce felt like a pathway back to my roots: impressionist painting. It allowed me to reflect on what I had learned about, what I had experienced, and observed during my career and gain a new perspective on how I saw and communicated.
I painted this from a photo, but addedd the two cabins and the bacground mountain to convey a sense of waking up on a crisp morning that might be common in the Alps.
An Alpine Christmas Morning | Oil
$500
24 X 30
“I try to help people to see themselves as creators rather than victims of circumstances.”
Beach Dunes with Sailboat | Oil
$500
16 X 20
I wanted to convey a breezy, joyful feeling watching a salboat from a beach on a warm sunny day.
The notion that art is more about the spiritual nature of things and people led me to open a website where I could display my artwork. The Art for the Spirit idea became a business, and from there, I could communicate the feelings, thoughts, and values of what was experienced into forms, images, and contrasts.
I based the painting on a photograph, but wanted to communicate the crisp oranges, purples, and golds of the day more distinctly.
Colorado Mountains in the Autumn | Oil
$500
16 X 20
Together, we explore how creativity may be developed so that people can come up with fresh perspectives on their lives, their relationships, and difficult situations. I now work as an independent consultant and life coach. I've found that no matter who we are or what we do, being a creative artist is embedded in each and every one of us.
Virginia Falls | Oil
$500
16 X 20
The painting is based on a photograph of the site in Montana. I added a very misty background in the cliffs over the falls and made the foreground pines and creek brighter to emphasize the falls;' morning grandeur.
“Today, I approach art with the aim of conveying spiritual meaning.”
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