Ken Rasmussen Blog
I Like Art That Speaks To Your Heart
As a young man, I used to get angry about modern art. I think that was because I didn’t really understand it. I’d wonder, what does minimalist and monochromatic painting mean? Where does it come from and who wants it? There seemed so little in it and so little that one can say about its…
The Sliding Scale of Perception
I wonder what you are struggling with right now? I wonder what you are telling yourself about your own abilities? One day I was complaining to my son Tom about my total incapacity to do renovations. I had to arrange fencing quotes and landscaping. This is stuff I have no interest in and have never…
We Are Going On A Snail Hunt
There is a tiny child in my garden. For her, it’s a wonderland. Falling leaves, bees and snails. So many sources of delight. She has this fantastic capacity to be happy. My friend Glenn and I entertain her while her parents choose a painting in the studio. She talks to us with her stumbling new…
Transformative Words At Scotch College
A single piece of information can be transformative. It might be words that inspire. It might be an affirmation. It might be some practical solution to a problem. Looking back over my life, I recognise there has been a person who has consistently spoken transformative words. He was a young art teacher called Rob Malcolm.…
The Katering Show Makes Me Laugh Out Loud
Some time ago The Guardian published a list of the best shows online. I was curious so I watched an episode of each one. That’s how I came across my favourite program, The Katering Show. I think each episode is a glittering diamond of perfection. Kate McCartney and writing partner Kate McLennan originally released The…
She Makes Me Want To Lift My Game
I met my wife in the passageway of the Printmaking Department. We were in the Fine Arts Building at the West Australian Institute of Technology and it was 1982. All I can really remember is I kept looking at her and she kept looking at the floor. I noticed that we both had a foreign…
Finding Much To Treasure In Fremantle
I love Fremantle. I particularly love climbing up to the Roundhouse. It’s just a little hill with a little fort and a little cannon. I used to have so much fun taking my children there when they were small. Once a day the cannon is fired off with a boom and that is really something.…
What The British Museum Taught Me
Life brings precious moments of clarity. Such a moment came to me on a visit to the British Museum with my family. I was looking in a glass case at a jewel and diamond encrusted snuff box. I had my young son with me. I looked up and saw our reflection in the glass. At…
Will Your Choices Be Your Legacy?
It’s only a few weeks since I last talked about my mother-in-law Judith. I knew her health was failing but I didn’t realise then how quickly we were going to lose her. At the farewell, I watched as each of her children spoke about their mother. It was so moving that they could speak on…
A Passion For Margaret River … and Good Storage
I am surrounded by Margaret River forest right now. Birds fly overhead and waterlilies spread themselves out across the water. The colours are vivid and I can feel the life in everything. This is the view in front of me as I sit in my studio. There are several large paintings of Margaret River all…
