Artful Painter Podcast: Brian Rutenberg - Abstraction is a Process [AUDIO-ONLY]

[@lulabelle33]

Brian Rutenberg-- one of my absolute favorite artists whose ideas/wisdom is as treasured as his art works. When Brian speaks I'm immensely intrigued and full on IN

[@corinnegeras5975]

Dr. Rutenberg is GENIUS, Carl, as you know. So happy to have found your podcast. Thank you for this treat !

[@CarlOlsonArt]

I’m glad you found the podcast and thank you for listening.

[@lydiaredl9879]

I was destroyed at art college England first at life drawing class then when I passed my exams head told my parent she won't make any money painting pretty pictures I was 16,I am now 70 yrs have always painted,drawn.Thank you Brian so much.Lydia from Australia.

[@attheranch873]

Brian is BRILLIANT!! I love hearing him talk about his work. He’s so completely and authentically himself, he doesn’t just take what other people tell him about art and believe it. My goal is to see his work in person once the pandemic is over. I HAVE to see it in person. Thank you for talking to us Brian, in this podcast and in all your KZbin videos. You contribute more than you know ❤️

[@CarlOlsonArt]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoy the podcasts. Yes, I want to see Brian’s work in person, too!

[@roslynr9767]

Love listening to Brian. Great discussion!

[@Rosy_corner]

I’ve fallen in love with Brian and saw this podcast with you interviewing him. Well done, you’re both real people. I am a poet and painter, my life after working, raising my family, rediscovering me. Exploring my muse and letting her be born. Extremely excited about the future, like what you and Brain say, you got to show up everyday! I look forward to more videos. Thank you, a yearning!

[@CarlOlsonArt]

Sounds like you are starting a wonderful journey of painting. Enjoy the process.

[@lisengel2498]

I love to experience the paintings of Brian Rutenberg and to see this studio visits on youtube is totally fun, magic dreaming and inspiring reflection on being a painter. 🎶💜🎵

[@nikolasflameart9750]

I love that definition of freedom. Perfectly said.

[@debbybrady1246]

Brian is my hero.

[@itsjudystube7439]

I showed up today. I tidied my space and sat down. I got a cup of tea. I cleared out some empty boxes. I sat down. I put a mat down on the concrete floor. I hope to paint when I show up tomorrow.

[@williama.hovestreydt6623]

Great cast! Love Brian! Great questions Carl!

[@jasonn7192]

Beautiful chat guys!!!...... read the book..... illuminating as ever!😁

[@itsjudystube]

Clear Seeing Space is fab.

[@bobmonk4098]

HI, Carl. I found Brian recently on youtube and then today found you. Thanks for the podcast -- very inspirational. While I did take some art and design courses at university back in the late 80s, mostly I'd been drawing, sketching, painting, and backyard-sculpting my entire life. When I began a career in teaching that energy dried up. Then I hit 50 and the pandemic hit us, which has been the impetus for me to return to a rigorous oil painting project, now with a spare-bedroom studio of an ever growing collection of large pieces stacking up against the walls. QUESTION: When you asked Brian about his tools and materials, my heart surged -- I felt it -- because I was hoping he would discuss how he makes his colors pop, glisten, glow, and shine (beyond his color theory). My oils seem to go dull upon drying. What am I missing? Did I see him mixing his paints with mineral oils or something like that in one of his videos (which I can't seem to relocate)? Thank you, Carl!

[@CarlOlsonArt]

Bob, great to hear from you. I'm glad you enjoyed Brian's interview. He has a vast library of videos - I believe he does cover it one of the videos but I can't remember which one or what he uses. Sometimes the dullness comes from the oil in oil paint being absorbed into the ground. You can oil out a painting, and then afterwards apply a gloss varnish (such as Gamblin's Gamvar).

[@attheranch873]

The answer to your question is in Brian’s you tube studio visit 75; I just watched it. Besides what he says, when your work is finished you can varnish it with a satin, semi gloss or gloss finish. It will also improve the depth of color. Good luck.

[@CarlOlsonArt]

Thanks for providing that info. I’ll have to go back and check it out.

[@itsjudystube]

I binge watch in bed next to a water boiler for tea.

[@bennobechtle1785]

Wow!!! I just found your postcard, was very easy to follow and listen all the conversation with the great inspire artist Brian Rutenberg. Just subscribe to the channel and I will listen or watch the next ones

[@CarlOlsonArt]

I’m glad you found the podcast and enjoyed it. More are on the way!

[@Freefolkcreate]

Sometimes it seems like we get caught in this should bubble, which is silly. That's what art is meant to take us out of. Into a freedom of mind. Sometimes we just think we are stuck but what we really need are new eyes. Pretend as if you just arrived here on earth for the first time. Everything exists in awe. Remember what it was like when you were a child looking at something new. We can become so cynical when we can't remember that. The viewer longs to see something for the first time. Should has no place in that.

[@cassandragaisford2777]

Where can I subscribe to your podcast, please

[@CarlOlsonArt]

You can visit carlolson.tv/artful-painter. Each episode post has links to where you can subscribe. Thank you for listening to the podcast.

[@derwanka]

Broccoli is wonderful! Don't mess with broccoli!

[@itsjudystube]

Don’t use black came from some Impressionists. I use black and lemon too for green.

[@roslynr9767]

I disagree with you on decoration. In other words, you are putting a 30 dollar painting of a flower, that can be very decorative, that has been mass produced from Walmart next to a Rothko, Matisse, Da Vinci, etc (you get the point). That does not seem to follow. In my opinion, there is a whole lot more going on in "Fine Art" (for the lack of a better term) than just decoration.

[@CarlOlsonArt]

Just remember that Monet’s giant water lily series that he did shortly before his death - he called them The Grand Decoration.

[@roslynr9767]

Grand is the operative word here. And, If he titled it "just Decoration" I would say ok if that is how you feel about it. A lot of Matisse's work has that decorative quality, but there is more to it. Probably because he has spent his life working with the elements of art to create expressions of visual poetry and delight.

[@itsjudystube]

What if that picture of a flower being sold by Walmart had been painted by Georgia O’keefe? What if the mass produced picture was of Sunflowers by Van Gogh? There are many many images of those. It isn’t about where the picture is intended for or whether it is important (as decided by critics). It isn’t about its price. It’s whether it speaks to an audience, the feelings it generates, it’s suitability for its audience, who loves it enough to buy it and hang it. Mass production of a commissioned image doesn’t lessen its value. Being commissioned as a decorative piece shouldn’t lessen its power to speak to someone in an anonymous hotel room who gazes on a flower for solace and escape. If someone uses art to enhance their living space does it devalue it? The same applies in “fine” or classical music versus mass produced recorded music. Has a Schubert song more value than one by Gershwin or John Lennon? Is there more going on in Mahlers Songs on the Death of Children than in searingly emotional songs of Sinead OConnor? I think the arts experience is a personal response to a given stimulus. Whether it has been classed as “fine” or not isn’t relevant.