"Baroness with a Brush"
Tamara de Lempicka art nouveau master
Welcome to my first Art Blotter Plus post!
On Art Blotter Plus I share fascinating art of little known artists of yesteryear and today. I also reveal my art process (mostly egg tempera), and updates on my memoir/coffee table art book. Plus+ a rotating array of non-art topics.
Fascination / Inspiration…
This month’s featured artist is Tamara de Lempicka, a Polish artist who settled in France after fleeing the Russian Revolution. After marrying Baron Raoul Kuffner, she became known as the "Baroness with the Brush."
“I live life in the margins of society, and the rules of normal society don‘t apply to those who live on the fringe.“
—Tamara de Lempicka
De Lempicka is categorized as an Art Deco painter based on her bold colors and angular style but she was influenced by late cubism and the neoclassical style— especially Jean August Dominique Ingres.
I love her smooth, sensual, painting technique. What do you think of her paintings? Any little known artists you admire?
On my easel ...
I’m working on blowing up this small egg tempera sketch into a greater than life-size figure:
I started working on the huge 8' x 4' panel but realized it was too damaged to keep painting so I've been repairing the gesso ground. I should have scraped off the gesso and started fresh but I’m stubborn. Here's a one minute video of where I'm at in the process.
To give a sense of scale here I am with a completed 8’ x 4’ painting:
Book notes...
The book started as a coffee table book of my paintings but evolved into a full blown memoir. It’s about how my life and art influence each other, my struggle to learn the egg tempera painting technique and my search for lasting love.
The title is My Life Illuminated but I’m struggling to decide on a subtitle:
Any other ideas for subtitle or thoughts?
Next steps: I'm working on final revisions with my meticulous editor/text surgeon Anne Rainbow. Then the manuscript goes to the complexity-loving, deliciously flamboyant book designer Domini Dragoone.
Here is the PLUS section of Art Blotter PLUS :
From my shade garden…
“Chinese Lantern”, also known as flowering maple (Abutilon ×hybridum). This amazing plant was dying until my friend sprinkled compost underneath it.
Here I am in my shade garden:
Amos Art…
my son's got talent!
His latest mural: Maple Leaf Lounge at Air Canada, San Francisco International Airport
Here we are at the opening party:
I leave you with a…
Favorite Song from the Great American Songbook...
The "Great American Songbook" is not an actual songbook—it’s the canon of American popular songs and jazz standards from the early 1920s. I love this poignant and clever vocal genre!
Here's Ella Fitzgerald singing "Comes Love"
Link to Lyrics of "Comes Love"
Until next month…
Carry On Bravely,
Lora
PS - I’d love feedback & suggestions on my first post!
My website is: click
Social Links
A great title and attractive cover! I prefer the layout of the design on the right because the title is on one line.
A wonderful debut! I sent you an email saying 4 x per year but your approach to 'the newsletter' is so different and interesting that I'm sure we will all love a newsletter a month! Your content, audience engagement and an open window into your studio and work are all perfectly pitched. Thank you.