Artist Profile: Blair Lambert aka Bestiary and Bestiary Ink

Tell me a bit about yourself name, location, affiliations, the personal stuff.
My name is Blair Lambert. I'm originally from rural Pennsylvania but have been bumming around NYC for the past several years. I earned my undergraduate degrees in Museum Education and Fine Art at Penn State. Currently, I'm living in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and I adore it. I'm a graduate student at The Pratt Institute studying Art and Design Education.

Apart from creating, what do you do?

When I'm not sewing, drawing and painting, I'm teaching art to children at a studio right here in Brooklyn.

What first made you want to become an artist?
I don't feel like I had much choice in the matter... I'm not talented in much else. It's a similar to the urge to scratch an itch: I have to use my hands and create.

Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.
I create in bursts. I'll have a few days of massive productivity and then I'll be completely uninspired for a while. My bedroom is my studio. I have my sewing machine, supplies, inventory and work table around my bed, it makes for a great commute to work in the mornings. My handbags are inspired by the fabrics I use. Each is made of a piece of recycled upholstery scrap. I love pairing patterns and colors and it's those combinations that inspire the applique design. My drawings and paintings are all done with Micron pens (which I covet!) and watercolors.

What artists have influenced you and inspire you to create?
My grandmother had the most amazing collection of sewing supplies and notions, her hording and good taste inspired me most. I love classic children's book illustrators like Arthur Rackham and Beatrix Potter.

Where else can we find your work and connect with you online?
My shops for stationary and fine art are Bestiary Ink and Bestiary for handbags and totes. Any inquires can be sent directly to me via email here.

Images copyright Bestiary Ink and Bestiary, 2009.

Art History: Maxfield Parrish - Part 2

The year of his marriage also brought Parrish his first magazine cover commission withHarper’s Bazaar that began his artistic career, which endured over 50 years and helped define the Golden Age of Illustration and the American visual arts. His talent for illustration and skill with colors caught the eye of many publishers and his work was commissioned for book illustrations, calendars, greeting cards, product advertisements, candy boxes and print. His work appeared in three of the twentieth century’s most-loved, and best known children’s books: Poems of Childhood by Eugene Field (1904), Arabian Nights by Nora Smith and Kate Wiggins (1909), and the most beloved of the Parrish illustrated books, Knave of Hearts by Louise Saunders (1925).

The Knave oil on panel

Between 1904 and 1935, Parrish enjoyed a steady flow of requests for work and was revered as a celebrity when his commissions rose to $2,000 each. An absolute favorite with the American public by 1925; one out of every four households in the United States had a copy of one of his art prints displayed in their home. A survey taken at that time found him listed among the top three favorite artists along with Cezanne and Van Gogh. He was inducted into the Society of American Artists in 1897.


Garden of Allah oil on panel

Technique and Influence
Maxfield Parrish was an innovator in the use of luminous color. The color “Parrish blue”, used frequently in his paintings, was named in his honor. Parrish created a technique of glazing bright layers of oil color separated by varnish and then applied to a base rendering of a blue and white monochromatic under painting. He achieved depth in his paintings by using enlargements of photographs of figures or objects which he projected and then traced at half or full size. The next steps were to cut out and place the images on the canvas and then apply multiple layers of thick glaze. The result creates realistically sized subjects and very vivid colors which appear almost three-dimensional when viewing his original paintings.

Morning oil on panel

Another method invented by Parrish involved making a large piece of cloth patterned with a black-and-white geometric design, draping the cloth on a human, and then photographing the model. With a developed transparency of the photo projected on a white canvas, Parrish used graphite to color in any parts of the project that were to be black. The outcome was a completed painting of a figure wearing a precisely draped cloth with a unique pattern on it. No artist has duplicated the style of Parrish but he influenced many including Norman Rockwelland Andy Warhol.

The Waterfall (1930), Solitude (1930) - both oil on panel

The Landscape Painter
During the 1930s, their children grown and pursuing their own careers, and unhappy about Susan Levin living full-time in the studio with Parrish, Lydia left home to live alone, writing and painting during winters in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. In 1931, after two winters in Arizona, Parrish decided to abandon his classic, “girls on rocks” theme and focused on painting landscapes. During this period, Parrish studied the hues of nature and applied even more intense colors to his work. A series of Great Southwest paintings include Night in the Desert,Desert with Water, The Grand Canyon, Pueblo Dwellings, Desert without Water (Cowboys), and Water on a Field of Alfalfa. He also produced a series of New England landscapes that were well received by the American public following the Great Depression and in the years leading to World War II. Many of his landscapes were printed on greeting cards, playing cards and in calendars published by Minnesota’s Brown & Bigelow Company from 1937 until 1962. Parrish also designed and painted a number of murals, on the walls of his own home and as decoration within famous hotels and bars across the country.


Evening Shadows, New Hampshire Hills oil on panel

The Last Painting
In 1961, Parrish finished his last painting, Getting Away from It All. The small oil on board shows a lone house on a high mountain peak surrounded by winter snow lit with the light of dawn. A small light burns in the window, and a fantastic light rises beyond the hill as if a beacon inviting the viewer to move from the safety of the home and go on to a higher realm. Parrish painted until he was 90 years old and died in 1966 at the age of 95. Each new generation rediscovers the magic and romance of Maxfield Parrish’s artwork and he remains the most reproduced artist in the history of art.

Getting away from It All (1960) oil on panel

Part 2 of a 2 part post--please click here to read part one from last week! To view a respresentative collection of works by Maxfield Parrish visit HERE.

Copyright Tina Pfeiffer 2009 - do not use the text in this post without my written permission.

Art History: Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966)

“I don't know what people find or like in me, I'm hopelessly commonplace!”
~Maxfield Parrish



Most of us can remember the first time we saw an art picture or children’s book illustrated by Maxfield Parrish. The magical worlds created by Parrish usually include the color of lapis lazuli blue; in it’s purest form, also known by fine artists as “Parrish Blue”. The works of Parrish are romanticized scenes filled with electric violets, radiant reds, and rich glowing earth tones. Feminine or androgynous figures, nude and partially draped in flowing fabrics, maidens and knights lounging under porticoes flanked by classical pillars with lush backgrounds landscapes of make-believe mountains, fantasy waterfalls and fairy tale ambiance are common in the world of Maxfield Parrish paintings. The beauty, attention to detail and technical execution of the work denies us the ability to question their existence. The extraordinary people and fire-breathing dragons of a Parrish painting are so realistic that we want to believe they can be real people in real places.


Daybreak (1922) oil on panel

The Illustrator
Born July 25, 1870 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Frederick Maxfield Parrish was the child of Stephen Parrish, a well-known artist and etcher and his wife Elizabeth Bancroft Parrish. Maxfield, a descendant of generations of Quaker physicians, adopted his middle name as his professional name at a young age and followed in his father’s footsteps to pursue a love of art.


Egypt (1920) oil on panel

During his childhood, Parrish began drawing for pleasure, enjoyed painting trips in the summers with his father and visits to the major museums of Europe as a teen. Graduating from Haverford College in 1892, Parrish entered the Pennsylvania Academy and studied there until 1894. Working as an aide to Howard Pyle at Drexel Institute he met Lydia Austin, another instructor and his first female model, and they married in 1895, were married for 58 years and together produced four children: Dillwyn (1904), Maxfield Jr. (1906), Stephen (1909) and Jean (1911). Parrish and his family lived on an estate he designed, built, and named “The Oaks”.


Ectascy (1929) oil on panel, 36 x 24

The Parrish estate was in the middle of an artist’s colony founded by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, his father Stephen, and other writers, poets and painters of the era. The Oaks was built near Cornish, in Plainfield, New Hampshire, and overlooked the Connecticut River. Parrish filled his home and his children’s lives with reading and culture including musical soirees hosted in the main house. At the suggestion of his father, Parrish hired Susan Lewin; age sixteen, to assist Lydia with their first child during her difficult second pregnancy. Shortly after her employment began, Susan became the primary model in Parrish’s studio, his mistress (which lasted for 55 years), and his constant companion until a few years after his wife passed away. Despite being widowed, Parrish declined to marry Susan and she retaliated by marrying a childhood friend, at age 70, in 1960.

Stars (1926) oil on panel, 35 x 21

Part 1of a 2 part post--please visit again to read part two next week! To view a nice respresentative collection of more work by Maxfield Parrish visit HERE.

Copyright Tina Pfeiffer 2009 - do not use the text in this post without my written permission.

Artist Profile: Samantha Battersby of Matou en Peluche

Tell me a bit about yourself name, location, affiliations, personal stuff...
My name is Samantha Battersby. I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia and I still live in Sydney with my partner in crime, Chris. I studied secondary education at Sydney University but spent most of my time drawing for the student newspapers and designing posters for local bands! After university I worked part time as a freelance cartoonist and illustrator for newspapers and magazines. I also exhibited my paintings and drawings in gallery shows around Sydney and country New South Wales. Now I have my own company and teach English in the city.

Coco

Apart from creating art, what do you do?

I teach English as a second language at a college in the city. In my free time when I’m not drawing I love going for long, long walks with my partner along the pretty coastal tracks around Sydney. The Blue Mountains, two hours west of Sydney, are another favourite walking destination for us.

Irene and her blue velvet coat

What first made you want to become an artist?

I think I was very small when I decided that I loved drawing and creating things. My Mum was a creator extraordinaire--I don’t even come close to her out put--so I guess it’s either in the genes or it was a monkey see monkey do type of thing! Decoupage, cartooning, painting and acting are also things I like to explore. Drawing is my favourite medium.

Juliet

Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.

My idea of heaven is spending a day or days at home just drawing. I could happily become a drawing hermit! However, due to other commitments, I usually spend Saturdays and a few nights a week drawing. At the moment I am really enjoying using charcoal and pastels. I love the mixture of precision and smudginess you can get using them. The colours are amazing, and I have a huge collection of pastels that I add to every time I pass an art supply shop!

What artists have influenced you and inspire you to create?

Goya and Rubans are two of my favourites at the moment but there are so many more! I get inspired by anything actually. It could be a poster in the street I like the colours of or an interior in a design magazine or even somebody’s clothes--you name it and I’ll start thinking about a drawing I could create.

Gorgeous Gerty

Where else can people find your work?

I sell my work on Etsy under the name Matou en Peluche, on Made It, an Australian handmade site like Etsy but it's smaller, and I have a website where I sell my cards and posters.

Little Robin

Visit Sam's blog

HERE.

Artworks displayed in this post are the original designs and copyright of Samantha Battersby of Matou en Peluche.

Artist Profile: Kim Gadbois

Pfeiffer Photos: Tell us a bit about yourself name, location, affiliations and a bit of personal stuff.

Kim: My name is Kim Gadbois, I am a 25 year old artist from Montreal, Canada. I work 40 long hours a week in a video game company mostly trying to figure out a way to become a freelancer. I would either like to be my own boss or make a switch to work in the animation industry. I like chocolate cake, cats (I have the most adorable kitty) and my boyfriend, who is also an artist. I stated traveling last year and I can say that seeing the world and discovering more countries has quickly become one of my ongoing goals in life.



PP: Apart from creating art, what do you do?

Kim: I am a ballet dancer! Not professionally of course, but I started to dance when I was three years old and have continued to train at least once a week since. I must say that it is very difficult to find a balance between art and ballet because they are two activities that I have to squeeze into my spare time, and they both require a strong commitment in order to achieve success. Apart from these pursuits, I work every Saturday in a dance supply store. I sell pointe shoes and leotards all day long and I love it!



PP: What first made you want to become an artist?

Kim: Watching Disney's animated movies at a very early age , I knew that it was what I wanted to do. I wanted to become a Disney animator. I would spend my days copying VHS covers of the movies, practicing my coloring and painting skills, and imagining how great it must be to work for The Mouse. This ambition has stayed with me ever since but I realized my passion in animation school. When I learned that there are other jobs that support the animators in the industry--background painters, illustrators, in-betweeners--I decided perhaps that was the best route for my talents and interests.



PP: Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.

Kim: I usually start with a quick sketch in my sketchbook. Depending if I want to make a painting or just a drawing, I will redo the sketch onto a canvas. This is the crucial step because sometimes I don't like the real drawing as much as the quick doodle I originally created and it takes time to figure out how to make it work for a finished piece. I also like to work digitally in Photoshop. In my Etsy shop, you will also find other art projects like crochet and Swarovsky rings. When I discovered Etsy in 2008, and I saw all of the different arts and crafts that people are offering there, I had a craft attack and wanted to try a bit of everything! I have finally decided to stick to promoting my drawings and paintings. I am also considering offering prints of my original works.



PP: What artists have influenced you and inspire you to create?

Kim: Apart from Disney artists in general, I have to say Eyvind Earl (who also worked for Disney). He was a genius background painter popular in the 1940's. He was the art director and painter for the Disney film, Sleeping Beauty. Earl had such a mad attention to details and his work is simply magical. I'd also have to include Marcel Marlier, a Belgian illustrator famous for creating the Martine series of children's books. These books contain some of the most beautiful illustrations I have ever seen in my life and it's notable that he dedicated all of his career to creating this series. I would say that you can find a little of his influence in my drawings. These days I am influenced and inspired by art blogs created by students from every animation school in the world. I follow bloggers living, studying and working in California, France and Canada--all three areas have a high concentration of talented artists. I spend a lot of time watching what other people are creating. It helps keep my creative juices flowing.



PP: Where else can people find your work?

Kim: I have a deviantART gallery with almost all of the illustrations I display on my blog, Pantoufle de verre. I also sell my acrylic paintings on Ebay but always announce these offerings on my blog first. I may attend the Toronto Fan Expo this year. It is a convention where you can sell anything related to comics or cartooning and meet up with other artists. Networking and making connections in the art world is always helpful to my career!



PP: Oh, and just what does Pantoufle de verre mean?

Kim: The translated title of my blog would mean something like: Glass slipper in gravel!


The paintings, sketches, drawings, illustrations and animated film displayed in this post are the original creations of Kim Gadbois, and several can be found for sale in her Etsy shop, deviantART gallery and on Ebay. Enjoy more of Kim's work online at her Flickr Gallery.