The Children are Watching Us

I didn't realize what a fan I was of Vittorio De Sica until I was looking at a list of his films after watching The Children are Watching Us last night. So beautifully shot and a great story. Here are a few scenes that really caught my eye.

In matters of butterfly hunting, Janet McConnell and Helen Dortch both deferred to Mary Lou Ferrell.

In matters of butterfly hunting, Janet McConnell and Helen Dortch both deferred to Mary Lou Ferrell.
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

watercolor and ink on paper

Margaret Hines Carlton, early summer of 1929.

watercolor and ink on paper

Elinor, having recently attended a Bergman film festival, now thought about everything differently.

Elinor, having recently attended a Bergman film festival, now thought about everything differently.
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

watercolor and ink on paper

Diana cuts herself off from the past and moves forward only.

Diana cuts herself off from the past and moves forward only.
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

Thank you to Diana for giving permission and providing inspiration with her beautiful photography!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vodkapsychosis/2817184994/in/set-72157605157743666/

What had started out as a mild case of florimania (obsession with flowers), Iris suddenly found herself breaking out with an acute case of petalmania.

new collage for Scrapiteria and for etsy.

Harriet Wynne and her third cousin, Julius Linker spent all their free time walking along the shores of Lake Superior in search of the perfect stones

watercolor and ink on paper

Helen McKay in green

my first attempt at painting an object. I'm going to call them Deco Dolls :D She is 8" tall and painted on all sides.

Dorothy Welborn was convinced she suffered from clinomania, or in layman's terms, the excessive desire to stay in bed.

For those of you who have Monday off, enjoy sleeping in! Watercolor and ink on paper.

Malcolm Stutz was sure he had just spotted a rufous sided towhee while Celeste Edgerton wondered why she had even bothered to get all dressed up.

I've been wanting to do a "birdwatcher" painting for a long time, there may be more.... watercolor and ink on paper. I really wish Christopher Guest would do a movie about birdwatchers much like he depicted the dog lovers in Best in Show.

The girls could agree on one thing only, they were in fact lost. Suzanne was hungry, Marjorie's feet hurt and Edna always had to be in charge.

I had so much fun painting this yesterday, especially their dresses! Watercolor and ink on paper, prints available in my etsy shop.

Miss Mae Glubb, starlet and sun worshipper

Miss Mae Glubb, starlet and sun worshipper
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

I often "make up" names or pull them from old yearbooks. This painting was inspired by a photo from an old camera and photography magazine and it is the model's real name.

watercolor and ink on paper

Ruthelma Stevens was no stranger to life's many injustices and

Ruthelma Stevens was no stranger to life's many injustices and disappointments.
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

to read more about Ruthelma, go here http://silentsandtalkies.blogspot.com/search/label/Ruthelma%20Stevens

Velma had tendencies that leaned toward the exotic.

Velma had tendencies that leaned toward the exotic.
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

watercolor on paper

Charlton didn't know how much longer he could sit through Francine's interpretive dance. All he wanted was dinner.

Charlton didn't know how much longer he could sit through Francine's interpretive dance. All he wanted was dinner.
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

Latest showgirl painting :)

Portrait of Another Unknown Woman

Portrait of Another Unknown Woman
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

6.75x7.75". Another mysterious woman.

Woman in Layers

Woman in Layers
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

These photos were tucked inside a book my husband just purchased, I'll post the painting I did of her in the morning.

Olive "Bubbles" Broadhurst works on her routine.

Okay, so this piece was really just an excuse to paint more balloons :) This is Olive before she met and married George.

Edwin had hoped that if he simply ignored her, Rosalie would soon go

Edwin had hoped that if he simply ignored her, Rosalie would soon go back to being a "normal" housewife.
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

latest watercolor, have a super Saturday!


When I painted this, I was fully intending for it to be funny and lighthearted but when I look at it now it doesn't seem so funny to me either. There is something sad about Edwin not having any sense of humor at all and in Rosalie that she can't get Edwin's attention even in her fancy showgirl attire. You kind of get the feeling she didn't have his attention before either... I'll try to get more genuine funny in the next one. Weird how the characters kind of create themselves sometimes against the artist's will.

Olive and George were newlyweds and she didn't know that he had a mild heart condition that would soon be exacerbated by her surprise balloon popping performance.

Olive and George were newlyweds and she didn't know that he had a mild heart condition that would soon be exacerbated by her surprise balloon popping performance.
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

The second painting in what will probably develop into a very long series of showgirl paintings. I keep coming up with the silliest titles so I'll keep on painting! Have a great weekend everyone!

Sophia in Pink

Miss Sophia Clifton in Spring

Miss Sophia Clifton in Spring
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

I'm feeling the influence of all the flowers in bloom everywhere right now and couldn't resist painting Miss Sophia Clifton's portrait again.

Birdies

Birdies
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

I like to do these little bird doodles now for fun and relaxation, they are very silly and I don't believe these are actual species...

Lawrence Cornelius Thornton had one thought that kept running through his mind over and over again. "Why had he not taken his mother's advice about showgirls?"

Lawrence Cornelius Thornton had one thought that kept running through his mind over and over again. "Why had he not taken his mother's advice about showgirls?"
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

I had the title first on this painting but came up with half a dozen more while I painted it. More than likely this will become a "showgirl" series so I can use my other titles and paint more costumes.

Arch Turner Allen, Jr. Takes Penelope Alexander for ice cream along the boardwalk, summer of 1933.

Arch Turner Allen, Jr. Takes Penelope Alexander for ice cream along the boardwalk, summer of 1933.
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

I was long overdue for a seaside painting, my first since I made the switch to watercolors. I'm very happy with how the water turned out. Now I'm craving ice cream...

Little Star

Little Star
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

I've fallen way behind on posting Betty Jayne's life so I pulled out a few things to scan this morning that caught my eye. You can click on the picture and see everything I've uploaded so far.

Interview with the Fab Miss B

Interview with the Fab Miss B
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

Thank you Becky for the fun interview! You can read it here www.thefabmissb.blogspot.com

Adelaide McAnally realizes it is 4 p.m. and she is still in her pajamas and that she may as well wait until tomorrow to get anything done.

I had a crazy day on Wednesday and didn't finish a painting for a post yesterday. I went a bit into overkill with color on this piece, and think I will work on something a bit more muted today...

Unnamed woman at an undisclosed location, May 15, 1942

I often find great old photographs to inspire me to paint something. This one had no other information on the back than the date, she will always be the unnamed woman at an undisclosed location.

I woke up today to find myself on two blogs, I think it is going to be a good day :)

I woke up today to find myself on two blogs, I think it is going to be a good day :)
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

http://sfgirlbybay.blogspot.com/

thank you Victoria!

blog interview

blog interview
Originally uploaded by vivienne_strauss

www.artistswhoblog.blogspot.com

thank you Stephanie!

Edith Mangum suddenly realizes that after years and years of analysis with Dr. Edwin Osborne Ayscue, she is exactly the same person as when she starte

This is one of those paintings where the title came first. The other day I was having a hard time getting organized enough to get started on a new painting and pondered whether or not I should start "journaling" again. Then I thought about the 12 years worth of journals I burned before our last move because when I started to re-read them, they were all the same complaints on different days. Alas, we seem destined to remain whoever it is we were meant to be.

Helen F. Lance of Timberlake, North Carolina, 1932

I've been a bit slack in the painting department lately. This is my latest finished piece and have several in process. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!