Roswita Busskamp, Artist

About the Artist

After I had spent my life working as a graphic designer and had dabbled here and there in visual expression, I slowly and shyly started to draw and paint. I had training in graphic design, but not in fine art. I had a life-long interest in art, had gone to many galleries and museums, read art books and generally was exposed to art, but there is a wide gap between seeing it and doing it. The beginning is discouraging — one can’t express anything one has in mind. Only persistence will eventually train one's physical and mental ability. My paintings show my way of processing the world around me. This personal journey is a challenging process to satisfy my own expectations. My goal is to communicate what I am feeling and to arouse an interchange with the viewer.

I started with portraiture, as the human face has a deep fascination for me. I have painted many portraits to try and express my personal feeling about my subjects. Mostly I paint my friends as I get to know them. I need to have a connection to the person I paint, but I cannot tell you why I paint some friends and not others, and why a certain face attracts me at a certain period in time. It is a little bit of a love affair at that particular moment.

I paint from photos and not from the live model. When a person sits for a while, their thoughts wander and suddenly they are somewhere else — their body is still sitting there, but the particular thing that makes a person an individual is gone and only the physical body is left. When I have a photograph in front of me I see the physical image plus experience my perception of that person. Now I have time to develop a relationship on my canvas.

This so-called love affair extends also to landscapes. I go through the same process, I choose a photograph, which fascinates me for some reason and I start to develop a relationship with that landscape. Although my paintings are realistic, there is no photographic likeness, I tweak and mold the image until it becomes mine. I get inspired by certain locations but often do not like to name the spot, as people will right away start to compare, which to me is meaningless.

Hopefully you will perceive my message, but what you feel about my paintings is extremely personal. All I can do is present my work to you and let you be the judge!

I have exhibited my work in galleries and have participated in juried art shows where I have won several prizes. I am a member of Lakeshore Arts, where I have exhibited in group and solo shows. I currently spend my time between my studio and collaborating with my husband’s artistic ideas.