Throughout the ages, since the very first scrawls were made in caves and tribal hunting events were recorded on walls, people have been using colors made of ochres, umbers, madders, bugs, mummies, minerals, shells, iron oxides, and plants. These pigments decorated sheets of papyrus, vellum, paper, faces, bodies, fabrics, clothing, tools, leather, … [Read more...] about Uber Umbers and Other Colors from the Earth
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Dancing Backwards Returns; Going Medieval with Skeletons: More Stories of Mostly Forgotten Fabulously Talented Women Artists of the Past: Part 3 Coming in September
How does a 850 year old skeleton relate to Dancing Backwards? It is posited that this woman/skeleton was a scribe/artist and somehow while working on a manuscript, a small chunk of lapis lazuli pigment was accidentally embedded in the flesh of her lower jaw behind her front teeth. According to the Smithsonian Institute, scientists like to poke … [Read more...] about Dancing Backwards Returns; Going Medieval with Skeletons: More Stories of Mostly Forgotten Fabulously Talented Women Artists of the Past: Part 3 Coming in September
The Final Reveal
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
Dancing Backwards in High Heels to the Balalaika with Marianne Von Werefkin
I chose the artist, Marianne Von Werefkin, as my final series post for the simple fact of her country of origin, Russia. It is a place very mysterious to us here but nonetheless has immense historical intrigue. Dave and I had the great fortune to travel there in 1985 when Glasnost was just beginning, and though we subsequently traveled to many … [Read more...] about Dancing Backwards in High Heels to the Balalaika with Marianne Von Werefkin
Michaelina Wautier; Dancing Backwards Part Two, More Lessons from Fred and Ginger
This story will either make you rejoice or infuriate you, or maybe both. The rejoicing comes from knowing that a truly masterful woman artist has been rediscovered. The infuriating starts when you realize there was maybe willful lying by historians who suppressed the life and art of Michaelina Wautier for reasons we will never really know. But we … [Read more...] about Michaelina Wautier; Dancing Backwards Part Two, More Lessons from Fred and Ginger
Adelaide Labille-Guiard; Folkdancing Backwards
Adelaide Labille came from a more modest background than the previous three women featured in this series. In spite of this, she rose to fame and became known as the greatest women pastel portraitist next to Rosalba Carriera. What is noteworthy to me, is even though many women artists rise in fame during their lifetime, their prominence fades over … [Read more...] about Adelaide Labille-Guiard; Folkdancing Backwards