The Above the Timberline exhibition is now open at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Thirty original oils from the novel are on display, as well as cases of items used to create the story’s images. A special sculpture of the main polar bear, Grim, at life-size scale was provided by Dan Chudzinski. It’s magnificent!
The theme of the current show is The Art of Adventure, featuring seventy-five paintings by Frank E. Schoonover, a painter I’ve been easily influenced by over my years of study. The Timberline paintings were chosen to accompany the exhibit for their contemporary aspect, showing yet again how adventure never stops intriguing an audience.
At the museum’s website you’ll find a short video interview of me talking about my work, the struggle of getting attention for the portfolio, and working my way to becoming a professional. I also talk about the effort to bring Above the Timberline to fruition.
There are short videos with the museum’s resident illustrator, Patrick O’Donnell, Education Program and Outreach Manager, drawing and painting together, discussing practical methods and philosophies of work.
This Sunday, November 18th, I’ll give a talk and paint a demo, followed by a book signing. Over the next few months, I’ll be at the museum for talks, teaching opportunities, and other events. The full schedule is up at the site and everyone is welcome. There may be additional events planned, so check back from time to time.
Once again, I have watched awestruck as images from the novel, Above the Timberline, continue to gather enthusiasm from artists and readers for the experimental format I pursued. The strength of capturing an audience with visual impact has become an aspect of my work that grew out of many long years of consistent training.
I’ve made this training the basis of my SmArtSchool classes for several years now, and have discovered that many students are showing up ready to build worlds, tell stories, and develop characters they seem to have always had in the back of their minds. And it all starts with giving yourself the permission.
It isn’t easy. The struggle and frustration are simply part of the endeavor. Taking the long view of your career is not usually what we’re taught as art students. But I can tell you that never letting up from your pursuits can eventually bring reward in many ways.
It’s hard to express the honor of having your paintings hung on the walls of the greatest illustration museum in the world. The same walls as Norman Rockwell.
_____________
For those of you who have read this far, there’s one more thing. The new Coen Brothers movie, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, will premiere around the country and on Netflix this Friday, November 16th. I have 7 paintings and 7 b/w drawings in the film, all of the art you’ll see onscreen. You can’t miss them. They illustrate a book that’s part of the story. I even inked the gold embossed cover which is shown from the first frame.
I plan to write a post for Muddy about how I built the paintings and what it was like working with the Coen’s. (Entirely fun!) Coming soon…
I missed seeing your Society of Illustrators show in NY. Won’t make that mistake again. Can’t wait to see this show!
Just watched your video. Man, it is such an inspiration to hear your story and view on art.
Thank you so much for sharing, and what an accomplishment! Congratulations.
Thanks, Rasmus! We’re all, ALL of us, working to become the artists we’ve been exposed to, connecting with their histories, their stories, their struggles. I get so tired of hearing about ‘gifts’ and how one needs to be LUCKY to be able to paint. There are more artists now than ever before, creating FANTASTIC work. They want it. They push for it. To become skilled at ANYTHING takes time, energy, and training.
My story, if anything, reflects my absolute refusal to be told I cannot be an artist unless I have The Gift. I have shown consistently through my career how I’ve failed, succeeded, stumbled, gotten back up, failed again, broken through, and kept going. Always going. Reaching. Exceeding that grasp and going again. And again. Again.
The constant dismissal by someone that doesn’t paint commenting that you misunderstand your gift as an artist is simply conjecture.
Always forward, Rasmus. Always forward.
Max…I’m really thrilled about the show and how it looks. Honestly, it feels like the story when you stand in the gallery, surrounded by that world. Just too bad we couldn’t drop the temperature in the gallery and get some ice going!
Hope you get to make it!
This looks so amazing! Just going over the article and seeing all this stuff happening to you makes me itch to do the same. The same feeling I had when holding Above The Timberline in my hands for the first time.
Thank you for your stunning and inspiring work!
Unfortunately I won‘t make it over to the US for the show, but I listened to the interview you had with Bobby Chiu and you talked about an upcoming show in Paris. When will that start and is there a chance that we might get to see some ATT-paintings over here in Europe?