Strong Women Series #9 - Bella Donna

 

My mother has this little bronze sculpture:

One time when my folks were traveling on the Baja peninsula, Mexico,

 in San Jose del Cabo;

they wandered into a shop and saw this, 

fell in love with her, bought and brought her home.

Mom named her Bella Donna, after the Lilly Amaryllis belladonna, or Naked Lady Lilly - 

which they actually grew on their place in Oregon. When they bloom, nothing else

comes up out of the ground but the stalk 

and the blossom ... thus, naked.

One day when I was visiting home,

I sketched the statue.

When thinking about another strong woman for my 9th

painting, I came across this sketch in one of my sketchbooks.

I felt like she was strong; a powerful nude figure (even though small in size)

sculpted by a strong artist. 

I have not been able to find Anita Corta, sculptor, 

when I google for her.

If anyone knows of this artist I would love to find out more about her.

Below is a photo of my mom's hands dusting Bella Donna,

for scale. Bella Donna is tiny!

Anyhoo, I am showing you guys this next painting process

in just a few photos ... I didn't take many during the progress.

I'm not entirely sure why I chose this surface;

it is Micaceous Iron Oxide. 

I am all about experimentation, that is probably why. 

The mica particles reflect light

and is iridescent. It is very rough!

I used some green pencil to do my drawing.

Bella looked a little lonely seated up there on her pedestal. 

I decided to put some Lillies around and about her.

Funnily enough, I liked the way colored pencil looked on the surface, 

so I actually kept those marks there as the stems, 

instead of painting them in.

Strong Women Series #8 - Supplication "Myrtle"

For painting #8 in this series, I found an image

 in a free image site online that I really liked, 

so I messed around with it a bit 

until I found something I thought might work. 

I guess it is kind of a double exposure sort of thing.

The following photos show the progression of the painting.

I didn't take as many as I usually do.

When I came to painting the hands,

I zoomed in on the photo to help me. 

Of course they're not exactly right, but that's ok.

Supplication "Myrtle"   oil on Masonite   18 x 12 inches

I just learned this new thing on the new Blogger format, that if you scroll over the image the title appears. I hope it works, but until I know for sure, I am going to write it under the photo.

So I think Myrtle is a strong woman. She takes no guff and appreciates life.

Is she a strong woman in your mind?

I so appreciate that you stopped by to take a look!

If you have questions about my work,

please do not hesitate to send me an email.

Or comment on this (but if you want a private answer

you will have to give me your contact, on my email). 

My email address is in my introduction at the top on the right side of the blog.

Ok, I have two more paintings to reveal in the coming weeks. I can't wait to show you.

I can't wait to have a show of these paintings!

I hope you are safe and well.

🎨

Strong Women Series #7 - Peaceful Sleep

She was very nervous. It was the first time she had ever modeled. 

All of us at the life drawing class assured her it would be fine ... she was brave and it was fine!

She did a good job. It is not an easy thing to do (I can only imagine ... I have sat for about 5 minutes a couple of times when a model was late or whatever ... but not without clothes!).

As Peter Steinhart wrote in The Undressed Art 

(here he was speaking about artist's guilds, which protect the model ... 

but at the time of publication there was only the Bay Area Models' Guild):

"It was more than just the money. The idea of a guild was that artists needed models, and models needed artists, but that each had problems connecting with the other. There was no training course for a model; most typically started out by telling the lie that they had modeled for someone else. Without training, modeling is a hit-and-miss kind of thing, whereby a model may or may not know how expressive he or she may be, or how to pose for long periods without suffering muscle strain or fatigue. A model may not know that it is usual to show up at work with a timer and a robe or that usually one is not required to pose for more than twenty minutes without a five minute break between poses, during which the model may stretch, rest, snack or phone a friend. The model may not have a clear idea how to handle an artist who shows more than a professional interest, how to retain one's privacy when that is wanted, how to converse with artists when that is wanted".

This drawing is in the book:

Seated Nude Woman Wearing a Mask by Thomas Eakins

Apparently, Eakins was an enthusiastic supporter of

nude life drawing, even posing nude for photographs

that his students used to draw from.

Eakin's drawing above was of a school teacher he persuaded to model, 

and kept her identity a secret! 

(That mask certainly is familiar ... except hers covers the whole face! 

Glad we don't have to do that.)

She went on to pose for engravings that adorned

the silver dollar, the half dollar, quarters and dimes for the next fifty years.

She became famous but still remained a school teacher. 

Check out Anna Williams. 

Googling around for artist's guilds, 

I found the website

 artmodeltips.com 

but I don't know if it is current. 

It looks good but how do you find out if there are recent updates?

Anyway, if you have the chance, read Peter Steinhart's book, 

The Undressed Art.

I think it is a wonderful intelligent and informative read for both artists and models.

The following photos show my original drawing 

from that life drawing class

ages ago

and then the progress to my painting in the studio.

(I see, after not looking at this for awhile, her face is way too white!)

Peaceful Sleep  (Holly)      12 x 18 inches     oil on Masonite

Peaceful Sleep (Holly) is the 7th in my Strong Women series 

because it takes a strong person 

to pose in the nude for the sake of art! 

Have you ever modeled for a life drawing class or artist? 

What was it like for you?

Thank you so much for checking into this little blog.

I remain hopeful about the future, in spite of everything ...

so make sure you do the things you love to do 

and stay safe and healthy while doing them!

🎨    💓