(Thanks to MarytKelly for her suggestion on spicing up the title! <G>)
After the one and only art class I took in college (the professor was a cubist, he wanted us all to be cubists, I am not a cubist ), I started painting on actual canvas with actual acrylic paint, doing paintings of people. I got a bit crazy those first years, making really large paintings in some really unusual colors. Looking back, maybe I'd have done the colors differently, but I'm still pleased with them otherwise.
The first was the aptly titled "Orange Girl," June '84. This was from a photo layout in Cosmo. Yes, the colors are a bit bright. I warned you. :D
The second, again very obviously titled, was "Purple Man," Fall '84. This fellow was apparently the star of Emerald Point NAS. I didn't watch the show but thought the picture was HAWT, so I painted it.
Next came "Calvin," May '86. This one was from a package of Calvin Klein pantyhose. No, she's not wearing any pantyhose in the painting. I am categorically opposed to panty hose and besides, it ruined the lines.
"Release," completed May 1988, is from a portrait of Rudolf Nureyev by Richard Avedon, taken in Paris in 1961, the year that Nureyev defected.
Next is "Emily," from Martha Graham's "Letter to the World," a dance based on Emily Dickinson's work of the same name. The original portrait, titled "Kick," was taken in 1940 by Barbara Morgan. I later found out that Andy Warhol worked his magic on this same portrait.
Last but not least, "The Sybil" was completed in September '89. In the original, which was an advertisement, she was holding shoes; I substituted crystal balls.
I did do one more portrait, but it's more at home in the neurotic batch of paintings that I'll include next time.
(Ratings and comments always appreciated!)
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BBE would stop by for sure and many others. But thanks for showing us your artwork...I really enjoyed seeing them..and no way the colors are too bright...I'm always drawn to bright colors.
Great work.
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Barry, you are just too kind. Thank you. :)
MarytKelly, I took you up on your suggestion. We'll see if it improves traffic. I guess after reading about the wild, bold painting you bought years ago, I should have expected that you wouldn't mind the colors. People either "get it," or they don't, and then they ask "What's with the weird colors?" It's hard to explain that I look at a picture and I see the color immediately in my mind.
SK, it is not "dumb" to comment on what caught your attention! I'm actually pleased that you liked the clothing, because that's usually one of the more challenging parts for me. And since one of my biggest goals in portraits is realism--outside of the colors, anyway--that is a tremendous compliment. Thank you!
Juliet, I've always loved the Martha Graham picture. The first time I saw it, I immediately thought "I have to paint that." The original photo is really, really lovely, a good source to work from.
Greg, the DH isn't all that thrilled with the male nudes either, which is why they're hanging in my office. :D My ex-husband was an engineer, as were all his friends, which meant they were almost all guys--and I have a bunch of pictures from different parties over the years of the guys molesting "Orange Girl." There may have been alcohol involved.
Rich, thank you! I'm glad you liked them.
Wonderful post, merwoman. I'm gonna be woofing it up on People's Picks (I think folks will think we've got something going on here -- well we might have had, but that was before I saw Nureyev :-), so there) before the editors grab you. And if they don't, it's their fricking loss.
WOOF
And Martha Graham - that portrait above is completely perfect.
Thank you for these gifts! I cannot wait to see further evolution!
Woof Man! Just be glad I didn't paint the full-frontal-partially-erect (at least I *hope* it was partially erect!) shot that was taken at the same photo session. Still and all, I think Nureyev, who was by no means subtle in his homosexuality, would be thrilled to know that he was responsible for your conversion. OTOH, damn him for taking you away from me! ;) And thanks for woofing me up, sweet dog.
Connie, to have seen Nureyev and Martha Graham dance together would have been a pure joy. I love dance, including ballet, although I am more attracted to modern and jazz. The movement of the bodies, the way the women's costumes move, is just stunning to me.
Nureyev was a wild man. I agree, Misha was very studious, flawless, perfectly trained, but he frequently seems too perfect, with not enough heart. Nureyev, on the other hand, showed the sheer joy of the amazing things he could do with his body. Billy Elliot always reminds me of that somehow.
Thank you for the kind words about the wrap on Sibyl! That's actually one of the things I'm quite proud of. Doing transparent is tricky. :)
Very glad you didn't add the pantyhose in the "Calvin" painting. It's bad enough in real life, art definitely doesn't need pantyhose!
The crystal balls really improve the Sybil painting and I love the way you painted her wrap.
Nice work, more please!
And Sybil.... the entire `feel' of it just brought a measure of peacefulness to me...
Thank you: lovely work!
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Rated
And red man is f-ing ripped ... nice job on those abs!!!
Art = better days
Shiral, thank you so much! Misha reminds me of a classical pianist--always perfect, never a note out of place. Nureyev, on the other hand, made me think of a jazz soloist, taking wild liberties with the melody and making it all work somehow.
There will be more forthcoming. I've got at least 3 different categories to get through yet. :)
Nahatsu, thank you. I had an excellent model to work from with Nureyev--Avedon's pictures of him are nothing short of amazing, and he showcased his movement and physique beautifully.
EEP, thank you for checking in! I think if I were tallying votes, it would definitely be Release and Sybil in the lead, followed very closely by Emily. On Emily, that was the first time I'd really tried to paint clothes, and I wanted to make the dress look realistic, with the folds and drapes and slight variations in colors. So I really appreciate your comment on that. :)
Irritated Mom, it's interesting hearing other people talk about the evolution--they've been "with me" so much, and are so familiar, that I really don't "see" that unless I deliberately stop to think about it. Thanks! And you can stop by any time to appreciate his abs. :D
John, I haven't even heard of that program! I am completely out of the loop on art software, since my iMac is old (almost 5 years--practically ancient!) so I've just been sticking with my old faithfuls. I use Photoshop for scanning, and Illustrator for drawing the Celtic designs (now--I did the first few the hard way), but the figure paintings I drew by hand. Since I paint much better than I draw, that was always one of the most challenging parts for me.
Michael, "delicious" works. Thanks! ;)
Janie, you make me smile. Maybe you just had the wrong instructor: my professor thought my work was unacceptable because it was too prosaically normal. He gets a raspberry for that one. :P But that you for the kind words. :)
And since (per Emma Peel) I'm a testoterone-poisoned blowhard (ya' had to be there) the spiced up title naturally drew my attention.
I think the next song I post will have to include a nude photo.
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Mary, it did indeed work. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll learn to market myself yet. ;)
Sandra, thank you for stopping by! I envy you your writing skills, so I guess that makes us even? :D
John, all men are testosterone-poisoned, and that's just fine. I look forward to your Nude song. ;)
I was especially struck by purple man. In fact, struck to the core as his face is one I carry in my head from the past.
wow...