Fonds SC515 - Avis Rasmussen fonds

Avis Margaret Rasmussen was born in Sidney, British Columbia, May 8, 1937, to John Ernest Bosher and Grace Simister Bosher.

Even as a preschool child, she demonstrated a talent for drawing and painting and pursued these activities with enthusiasm. She was educated at local schools and then entered Education at Victoria College in 1956 where she completed the program required to qualify for a certificate to teach school. In 1975 she earned a B.Ed. degree (art major) from the University of Victoria. In 1979 she received a BFA degree (with distinction) from the University of Victoria. During this period she worked extensively with John Dobereiner on Painting and with Pat Martin Bates on Printmaking. Her third and final degree was an M.Ed (Counselling and Art) from the University of Victoria in 1982.

In 1959, she married Hans Rasmussen, a local businessperson and entrepreneur. She was married to Hans Rasmussen for 20 years and had five children. The children now live in many parts of Canada and the United States.

Despite her career in teaching and substantial family responsibilities, Avis Rasmussen continued to paint and through an ambitious program of advanced education, study art and its creation. Over her long and still continuing career as an artist, Avis Rasmussen has produced hundreds of works ranging from monumentally scaled abstract expressionist oils on canvas to much smaller, intricately detailed woodblock prints and fluidly realized “plein air” watercolours. Much of this work has been sold through galleries (principally the Winchester Galleries). Over 150 of her works are represented in public collections. She is also extensively represented in private collections in Canada, the United States, and Europe.