Dancing Backwards in High Heels More Lessons from Fred and Ginger Part ll Yesterday's opening reception was lovely. The entire staff was in attendance, Joe, Krissy, Lynette, and Marilyn too! The guests enjoyed locally made salted chocolate truffles and lemonade throughout the afternoon. So now, as promised, posted are all ten finished paintings … [Read more...] about The Final Reveal
Pigments: Historical and Modern
There is a distinct difference between modern day pigments and the natural pigments used prior to the middle of the 1700s. In the past, artists had apprentices who ground the colors for them throughout the oil painting sessions. Because they were made by hand, the pigments retained a natural grittiness and consistency with larger particle size. Today's oil paint manufacturers make synthetic colors in huge vats where the end result is exceptional smoothness. Prior to the middle of the 1700, natural pigments came from dirt, minerals, and even plants.
More Lessons from Fred and Ginger Part ll with Sophie Fremiet Rude
Looking back over the months of research for both Dancing Backwards in High Heels Parts One and Two, a distinct vocabulary ideology repeatedly pops up. Words and phrases like artistic family, parental encouragement, financial hardship, financial independence, prevail, obstacles, and perseverance among others. There is a common thread running … [Read more...] about More Lessons from Fred and Ginger Part ll with Sophie Fremiet Rude
Dancing Backwards Part ll with the Iconic Artemisia Gentileschi
Baroque artist, Artemisia Gentileschi, born in Rome in 1593, was graced with the good fortune of having a famous painter as her father, Orazio Gentileschi. She received her training from one of the best early in her life and made a name for herself by the age of 15. Her popularity and fame took her from Rome to Florence, Venice, Naples, and then … [Read more...] about Dancing Backwards Part ll with the Iconic Artemisia Gentileschi
Dancing Backwards in High Heels Part ll, More Lessons with Fred and Ginger and Judith Leyster in Haarlem
It's an endless saga, just a different woman in another country. It’s a wonder this artist made a name for herself having to combat such serious obstacles. Judith Leyster is yet another woman artist surrounded by setbacks and intrigue which involved fraudulent actions against her work, deliberate deception and misattribution of her work, and work … [Read more...] about Dancing Backwards in High Heels Part ll, More Lessons with Fred and Ginger and Judith Leyster in Haarlem
Dancing Backwards in High Heels Part Two; Cliff Notes Version of Color Sleuthing
Many of you have asked about the pigments used by the featured women artists in Part Two of Dancing Backwards, More Lessons from Fred and Ginger. This is where my Mad Scientist Pigment Nerd Self gets itchy. For decades now, I have been delving into the historical materials and techniques side of painting. This is as interesting as the actual … [Read more...] about Dancing Backwards in High Heels Part Two; Cliff Notes Version of Color Sleuthing
Sofonisba Anguissola; Dancing to Deh Fussi La Cui Meco Backwards in High Heels
Sofonisba’s pearls swayed with the rhythm of the dance while the movement of her satin dress made little crackling sounds. The guests sat awe-struck in the opulent drawing room of the villa in Cremona, windows wide open offering relief from the heat of the fire. The pairing of Sofonisba the dancer and Maddalena Casulana the lutenist accentuated the … [Read more...] about Sofonisba Anguissola; Dancing to Deh Fussi La Cui Meco Backwards in High Heels