ROB SCHOUTEN - Painter
Dutch magic realist painter Rob Schouten’s creative journey has led him from pencil drawings and watercolors to etchings and oil painting. With over forty years experience and his well-honed skills for detail and design, Rob is able to take the viewer to places imagined as only a magic-realist could.
“Working in oil glazes employing the Old Masters technique, I paint detailed realism with a touch of magic and at times, a touch of humor. Nature, symbolism, mythology, quantum physics and the stars of the night sky are my inspiration. My paintings are crafted to instill a sense of wonder and mystery, and to reveal the esthetic beauty and radiance in ordinary things.” Schouten explains.
His journey as an artist has been inspired by graphic artist M.C. Escher, Salvador Dali, René Magritte, and the 19th century Symbolist artists, but even more so by the works of Carl G. Jung, Joseph Campbell, and studies of Eastern traditions.
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Recently three paintings from the estate of one of my collectors have become available:
40” h x 24” w x 1.5”d - framed 47” h x 31” w x 2.5” d
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ARTIST'S COMMENTARY:
In this painting an egret rises momentarily from her nest to reveal an egg that is the Earth. It’s a painting about renewal, about a new world being born from a pure bird under a rising full moon. They symbolize the emerging of a higher consciousness to help our planet heal and flourish.
30”h x 22”w - framed 38”h x 30”w x 1”d
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ARTIST’S COMMENTARY:
The Buddha sits serenely amidst the clamor of the world. This painting represents the struggle towards wholeness and the process of finding one’s calm center.
Currently Available Oil Paintings
48” h x 30” w x 1.5”d - framed 53.5” h x 35.5” w x 1.5” d
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ARTIST'S COMMENTARY:
The element Air was one of the more difficult paintings to paint in the series. After all, how do you paint something that is invisible? It can only be visually perceived by the effect Air has on other things, like wind in the trees or waves on the water. We can hear the effect of Air as it interacts with other elements, and feel it on our skin. And most importantly, it is Air that gives us our life sustaining breath. In this painting the woman blowing a feather off her outstretched hand portrays this particular quality of Air.
THE ELEMENTS SERIES: AIR
This is the fifth completed painting in a series of five, depicting women in communion with the elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether.
Rob comments, “The element Air was one of the more difficult paintings to paint in the series. After all, how do you paint something that is invisible? It can only be visually perceived by its effect on other things, like the wind in the trees or waves on the water. We can hear the effect of Air as it interacts with other things, and feel it on our skin.
Most importantly, it is Air that gives us our life sustaining breath. In this painting the woman blowing a feather off her outstretched hand portrays this particularly invaluable quality
of Air.”
THE ELEMENTS SERIES: WATER
After Fire, Earth, and Ether, Water is the fourth completed painting in the ‘Elements Series’ which Rob has been working on for some time. Each painting features a woman emerging from the element she portrays.
Rob says: “Water is the element of life, fluidity and flexibility. It takes on the shape of whatever vessel holds it, be it the sea, a lake, a river, a bowl, or a jar. While all five elements are essential for life, water takes on a special role in the growth of plants and animals. In it nutrients are dissolved and transported to all parts of the organism to enable cell division and growth. Finding water on other planets is considered somewhat of a holy grail of space exploration.
In this painting a woman has scooped up a jar full of life-giving water and is pouring it back into the lake it came from. This represents the completion of the life cycle of water. It is taken, used for growth and transformation, and returns to the source after the life ceases to be. Here the water turns into stars and light, and the lake itself becomes ethereal. This symbolizes that on a subatomic level all matter is empty space. The lotus emerging from the depths represents the culmination of the cycles of birth, growth, blossoming, decay, death, and rebirth.”
48” h x 30” w x 1.5”d - framed 53.5” h x 35.5” w x 1.5” d
Click image to enlarge
ARTIST'S COMMENTARY:
After Fire, Earth, and Ether, Water is the fourth completed painting in the ‘Elements Series’ Rob has been working on for some time. Each painting features a woman emerging from the element she portrays.
Water is the element of life, fluidity and flexibility. It takes on the shape of whatever vessel holds it, be it the sea, a lake, a river, a bowl, or a jar. While all five elements are essential for life, water takes on a special role in the growth of plants and animals. In it nutrients are dissolved and transported to all parts of the organism to enable cell division and growth. Finding water on other planets is considered somewhat of a holy grail of space exploration.
In this painting a mature woman has scooped up a jar full of life-giving water and is pouring it back into the lake it came from. This represents the completion of the life cycle of water. It is taken, used for growth and transformation, then returned to the source after the life seizes to be. Here the water turns into stars and light, and the lake itself becomes ethereal. This symbolizes that on a subatomic level all matter is empty space. The lotus emerging from the depths represents the culmination of the cycles of birth, growth, blossoming, decay, and death.
18”h x 24”w framed 23”h x 29”w x 1.5”d
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MONKEY BUSINESS was to be a fairly traditional still life, utilizing various vintage objects. However, as Rob started to choose and arrange the objects they started to tell their own story.
The monkeys and the manikins all represent various aspects of our personality: some happy-go-lucky, some feeling trapped in the gears of life, some feeling sad and hurt, some helping and comforting, some meditative, some could give a hoot. We all try to balance these aspects of our self to find love and happiness, represented by the rose carefully held by the clamp. The crates can be seen as the boxed mental constructs we impose on our life, and the fragments of smiling faces as the joys and temptations from which we try to piece together an ideal whole.
MONKEY BUSINESS
Rob says, “Monkey Business” was to be a fairly traditional still life, utilizing various vintage objects. However, as I started to choose and arrange the objects they started to tell their own story.”
He adds, “The monkeys and the manikins all represent various aspects of our personality: some happy-go-lucky, some feeling trapped in the gears of life, some feeling sad and hurt, some helping and comforting, some meditative, some could give a hoot. We all try to balance these aspects of ourselves to find love and happiness, represented by the rose carefully held by the clamp.
The crates can be seen as the boxed mental constructs we impose on our life, and the fragments of smiling faces as the joys and temptations from which we try to piece together an ideal whole.”
40” h x 30” w framed45.5” h x 35.5”w x 2.5” d
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There are many layers of symbolism to this painting. On one level this is a painting about water, falling on the mountain in the form of snow and melting as the rising sun warms the ice, trickling down to form a lake, then flowing out and cascading down, merging with other streams to form rivers flowing out to sea. On another level the mountain is symbolic of consciousness and the central world axis. The lake can be thought of as the unconscious, because it hides unknown things. The reflection shows that things are "as above, so below". The surface of the lake can be thought of as the mind one tries to still during meditation turning the broken reflections into a whole and also revealing part of the hidden world.
The grasping of the complete image of the stream inside the squares can be compared to the flash of enlightenment. The idea of the whole image being made up of individual fragments represents the idea that consciousness is transpersonal, and that what appears to be separate and individual is really whole, complete, and one.
CONFLUENCE
There are many layers of symbolism to this painting. On one level this is a painting about water, falling on the mountain in the form of snow and melting as the rising sun warms the ice, trickling down to form a lake, then flowing out and cascading down, merging with other streams to form rivers flowing out to sea. On another level the mountain is symbolic of consciousness and the central world axis. The lake can be thought of as the unconscious, because it hides unknown things. The reflection shows that things are "as above, so below". The surface of the lake can be thought of as the mind one tries to still during meditation turning the broken reflections into a whole and also revealing part of the hidden world.
The grasping of the complete image of the stream inside the squares can be compared to the flash of enlightenment. The idea of the whole image being made up of individual fragments represents the idea that consciousness is transpersonal, and that what appears to be separate and individual is really whole, complete, and one.
When the background of the painting is masked-off the image inside the pattern of squares becomes more clearly visible.
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12” h x 9” w framed 16” h x 13” w x 1.5” d
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This painting started as one of my first experiments with underpainting. It was completely spontaneous and unplanned, which is very different from my usual planned and sketched out work. I had recently been looking through a book with microscope images of cells and systems in the body and the painting began to emerge in that direction. As the cavernous shapes and spaces started to appear the image reminded me of the arches in great cathedrals. The floating white rose, lit from above, became the altar and symbolizes healing deep within.
CATHERDRAL
This painting started as one of my first experiments with underpainting. It was completely spontaneous and unplanned, which is very different from my usual planned and sketched out work. I had recently been looking through a book with microscope images of cells and systems in the body and the painting began to emerge in that direction. As the cavernous shapes and spaces started to appear the image reminded me of the arches in great cathedrals. The floating white rose, lit from above, became the altar and symbolizes healing deep within our cells.
18”h x 24” w - framed 22”h x 28”w
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This painting is about sacred feminine energy manifesting into the world. It depicts the goddess Tara whose readiness to help others is symbolized by her right foot stepping off her lotus throne. On the altar on which she sits a bonsai tree represents the Tree of Life giving shelter to the world, depicted by the marble. From the background a moonlit stream, symbolic of the Water of Life, comes pouring into the room. On the shelf an orange contains stars and galaxies. This represents how the seeds of a plant carry the life form onward through time. The light of the candle represents hope for the troubled world we live in.
Oil Paintings
ONE QUIET EVENING
This painting is about sacred feminine energy manifesting into the world. It depicts the goddess Tara whose readiness to help others is symbolized by her right foot stepping off her lotus throne. On the altar on which she sits a bonsai tree represents the Tree of Life giving shelter to the world, depicted by the marble. From the background a moonlit stream, symbolic of the Water of Life, comes pouring into the room. On the shelf an orange contains stars and galaxies. This represents how the seeds of a plant carry the life form onward through time. The light of the candle represents hope for the troubled world we live in.
AT THE SOURCE
Above the pristine waters of a mountain stream a lotus flower, symbol of unfolding consciousness, floats in the air, symbolizing transcendence. In the background mountain side the Buddha sits in silent witness to this process. The serenity of the mountains continues to be a place where the beauty and sanctity of the earth becomes a teacher of calm inner reflection.
24”h x 18”w - framed 28”h x 22”w
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Above the pristine waters of a mountain stream a lotus flower, symbol of unfolding consciousness, floats in the air, symbolizing transcendence. In the background mountain side the Buddha sits in silent witness to this process. The serenity of the mountains continues to be a place where the beauty and sanctity of the earth becomes a teacher of calm inner reflection.
Earth oil on canvas 30 x 48" SOLD
Aquatint Etchings
Schouten’s etchings were executed at Island International Artists of Guemes Island, WA and done using the aquatint step-etching method in which the printing plate is progressively blocked out at intervals from pure white to a deep velvety black, which allows for a wide grey tonal range to construct the image.
The etchings are printed in a signed limited edition of 350 on BFK Rives etching paper, 270 gsm.
Signed and numbered limited edition of 350
Printed on BFK Rives etching paper 270 gsm.
Printed and published by Island International Artists, Guemes Island, WA
23.5”h x 17.5”w - framed size: 34”h x 28”w x 1”d
Archival 100% rag, acid-free white mat
Black wood frame 1.75” wide
Reflection control glass
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Signed and numbered limited edition of 350
Printed on BFK Rives etching paper 270 gsm.
Printed and published by Island International Artists, Guemes Island, WA
7.75”h x 4.5”w - framed size: 16.25”h x 12.5”w x .75”d
Archival 100% rag, acid-free white mat
Black wood frame 1” wide
Reflection control glass
Click image to enlarge.
Signed and numbered limited edition of 350
Printed on BFK Rives etching paper 270 gsm.
Printed and published by Island International Artists, Guemes Island, WA
7.75”h x 9.75”w - framed size: 17”h x 18.5”w x .75”d
Archival 100% rag, acid-free white mat
Black wood frame 1” wide
Reflection control glass
Click image to enlarge.
Signed and numbered limited edition of 350
Printed on BFK Rives etching paper 270 gsm.
Printed and published by Island International Artists, Guemes Island, WA
7.75”h x 9.75”w - framed size: 17”h x 18.5”w x .75”d
Archival 100% rag, acid-free white mat
Black wood frame 1” wide
Reflection control glass
Click image to enlarge.
Signed and numbered limited edition of 350
Printed on BFK Rives etching paper 270 gsm.
Printed and published by Island International Artists, Guemes Island, WA
9”h x 11.75”w - framed size: 18.25”h x 20.75”w x .75”d
Archival 100% rag, acid-free white mat
Black wood frame 1” wide
Reflection control glass
Click image to enlarge.
Signed and numbered limited edition of 350
Printed on BFK Rives etching paper 270 gsm.
Printed and published by Island International Artists, Guemes Island, WA
6.75”h x 7.25”w - framed size: 16”h x 16”w x .75”d
Archival 100% rag, acid-free white mat
Black wood frame 1” wide
Reflection control glass
Click image to enlarge.
Slide show of Original Paintings from 1982 to present (mixed)
Take a journey through the magical world of Rob Schouten in more than eighty paintings.
A number of these paintings are available as cards and prints on our PRINTS & CARDS PAGE.
