The Ballets Russes

I remember hearing about this movie several years ago (2005) on NPR one day on my way home from work. Of course by the time I arrived at home, I had already forgotten about it. I probably got sidetracked with dinner. I've been re-reading a lot of Edward Gorey lately and thinking about his obsession with Balanchine and the New York Ballet (after seeing a friend's photo on Flickr! of the theatre in Chicago where she attended a ballet herself).

I watched The Ballets Russes twice yesterday, what wonderful and inspiring people they all were, many working in some capacity of their field of dance well up into their late 80's and early 90's! There was a lot of actual film footage and photos from as far back as the 1920's up through the 1960s when it was heading into a complete financial decline. I thoroughly enjoyed all the interviews and became rather attached to several of them and by the end of the second viewing I was crying.

Tomorrow I will post the painting I did as a tribute both to all the wonderful ballerinas and danseurs of the Ballets Russes (there ended up being two competing companies) and to Edward Gorey.

Phoebe, Adrift

It has been several months since I've done any Phoebe paintings, new ideas for her are finally coming to me!

Best in Show, 1962

I feel like I've been working on the piece forever and it is finally done! Now I just need to find the photo that inspired this piece. When I get a chance I may even write a short story based on this. I say that and immediately think of one of my favorite fortune cookie fortunes ever : the road to hell is paved with good intentions...

To see details of this painting, see either vivstrauss.etsy.com or my photostream on Flickr.

Like Kittysville

We purchased this great cat bed from Like Kittysville on etsy and it has been a huge hit at our house. Here is Krasner posing, she was the first to try it out but Irving has pretty much taken it over as his.

These can be found at www.likekittysville.etsy.com, We can attest, they are extremely well made and attractive which is a rare combination to find in the selection of pet beds out there!

In Defense of Hugh Jackman

I'm in the midst of watching the Oscars and really enjoying all the art deco inspired decor and the talented performances of Hugh Jackman, Beyonce and others. I noticed that people are already mocking Hugh Jackman's performance on the internet and don't know why.

Hugh Jackman is talented much in the way of old Hollywood leading men like Cary Grant. He is the perfect romantic lead and doesn't seem to have the same smarmy attitude of actors like George Clooney. My husband and I really enjoyed him in Baz Luhrman's "Australia" and "The Prestige" from a few years ago. I wish he would get more roles like those more so than "Wolverine" which is a movie genre I just don't relate to.

Hugh's performance tonight should have garnered him more respect from the general public, not less!

Margaret Morehouse, An Unknown Actress Who Never Won an Oscar

Latest gouache on paper, one is a photo( on bottom) , the other is a scan (on top) to show the colors more accurately.

2 new gouache paintings on paper

"Eva, Inside Looking Out" (the blonde in blue) and "Lola, Waiting and Wondering" (in red).

A Centenary of Collage opening February 23!

For anyone living close to Manchester, UK I am part of a group exhibit of collage art. It really is a wonderful group of artists in which to be included, a really diverse and talented bunch! I do wish I could be there in person! Once the pictures are up of the opening, I'll post a link here.

Lillian Wasn't Sure What was Making Her So Sleepy, the Warm Sunshine, the not Very Good Book She had Brought with Her or Henri's Monotone Voice

New original painting available in my etsy shop. This may be the longest title yet! I'm ready for warm weather with lots of sunshine!

Family Outing collage

Blind Date

I don't usually write very much about my paintings or collages for two reasons. One, I like to hear other's interpretations and I don't want them to be limited by what I say about it and two, my attention span for writing is often not any longer than the lengthy titles I employ. With this piece, I simply cannot resist attempting to write about it. Harriet and Walter are in the midst of a very awkward blind date. Neither one of them can imagine why their friends thought they would be a good match. Harriet thinks Walter is just about the most awkward looking fellow she has encountered yet he is acting rather pompous and as if he thought he was too good for her. At the same time, Walter thinks that Harriet's legs are entirely too thin for his personal taste and she has barely spoken a word all evening. For whatever reason, they both decide to have a second date where they find out they do have something in common after all. Neither one of them like their friends all that much.

Lily Was Almost Positive that Her Cats, Edward & Franklin Talked About Her When She Wasn't in the Room

I painted this today while watching "The Last Time I Saw Paris" a wonderful old film based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Babylon Revisited". The movie stars a beautiful young Elizabeth Taylor and Van Johnson. Now I want to paint something with a Paris background...

Elizabeth, Cory, and Alex Relax at Home on a Chilly February Sunday Afternoon

New commission piece just finished today 14" x 18" gouache on canvas.

One of the many reasons why I love Portland, OR

Blue and White Deco
Originally uploaded by viviennestrauss

Matte & I spent about 6 hours just walking around downtown Portland, I took about 70 photos. There is so much to see and enjoy about this city, I'm so glad we moved here! To see more photos of Portland go here :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doublevivienne/3283562532/

Drink Your Juice collage

Another piece for inspired by childhood memories for the theme of the week on www.scrapiteria.blogspot.com. I was a super picky eater and underweight as a child and my parents had the idea that one large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice (with lots of pulp) was essential to my nutrition. I was not allowed to go anywhere or to do anything until that glass was empty. Some times it took almost an hour for me to get it all down, it was torture! If I had a friend spend the night, I would make them drink it for me. I still don't like orange juice but LOVE grapefruit juice :)

She Was Born with a Silver Spoon

After weeks of being unable to create a collage, I think my mind if finally unblocked. This one is for Scrapiteria, the theme this week is childhood memories. This is how my older siblings see me. http://scrapiteria.blogspot.com/

Happy Valentine's Day!

I came across this ad last night while cutting out images for collage.

I Watched Love Story today

When I was a teenager I had the lines to this movie memorized, having read the book and seen the movie countless times, always sobbing until my eyes were red and swollen. I watched this movie while I painted today, mentally mocking the the time period and my remembered teenage angst, determined not to cry THIS time. It helped that I was busy working and not giving it my full attention, I hung in there but at the very end I caved, not when Jenny actually died but when Oliver ran into his father outside the hospital and that fateful line was delivered for the second time "Love means never having to say you're sorry". Actually I do not believe that at all. Love means saying you're sorry a lot! For hurt feelings, for things said in anger, often you apologize and you don't even know what you're supposed to be sorry about.

Amelia's Life was Forever Changed by the Addition of Constantine (Teeny) and Boniface (Bon Bon)

Commission painting, gouache on plywood. The photos of these two sweet pups were some of the cutest ever!

A couple of sketches for new paintings

I have been sketching a lot more than usual between paintings and am really enjoying it. This is a necessary step when painting "real" people as opposed to imaginary ones.

Elinor and Clive Arviddson Suffer in Silence Through the February Dulldrums

February is one of the most difficult months for people to get through, including myself. I hope this new piece brightens everyone's day a bit!

Tokyo Story: Blood is not Always Thicker than Water

I just watched one of the most heart wrenching movies, "Tokyo Story" (1953) directed by Yasujiro Ozo. The film is about an elderly couple who travel from their faraway village to the big city of Tokyo to see their children. None of their children are especially welcoming when they arrive, no one wants to take time out of their busy lives to show their parents the city and it is finally their widowed daughter-in-law who takes a day off from work to show them the sights and make their visit a nice one. Their other two children want to be rid of them so they pool their money to send their parents to a spa but the don't stay long as it is filled with loud young people and they don't get any rest. They go back to Tokyo and once again, and it is their daughter-in-law (played by the lovely Setsuko Hara) who welcomes them and gives them what their own children are too selfish to give. Their grandchildren have no interest in them at all and are spoiled brats. On the long trip home, the elderly couple stop off in another city when the wife becomes ill and stay with another son who also finds them to be a big bother. I don't want to say any more and give away the ending for those who haven't seen it. The film is in black and white but the patterns of the kimonos were all so beautiful and one that was worn by the mother looks similar to the pattern of one I bought two years ago on a trip to Seattle, WA. Ozo made some really great post war films, I've already seen "Late Spring" and next to watch is "Early Summer". I don't know what it is about February that makes me watch such tragic films.

It Wasn't that Stanley was all that Dreadful, It was Just that this was Exactly What Helen and the Girls Came to Biarritz to Escape

Gouache on illustration board, 10" x 15". It is a grey day in Portland today, not that I'm complaining, we've had a very sunny winter. It just made me feel like painting a beach scene. I hadn't intended to add Stanley until I was almost finished, Helen and the girls looked just as bored before he came onto the scene, now he has just given them reason to be annoyed and will give them something to talk about later.

Gallery Hanahou Opening this friday!

great publicity for show at Gallery Hanahou

This was on the Craftzine blog this afternoon, and even more excited to be "next to" Amy Sedaris!!

http://blog.craftzine.com/

Esther's Social Life had Dwindled Down to Nil Since All She Wanted to Talk about Were Her Dachshunds

This time I decided to embroider the entire piece and not use applique. This one is framed by a 10" wooden hoop.

Antoine and Babette get some publicity!

Antoine and Babette get some publicity!
Originally uploaded by viviennestrauss

So nice to wake up to this today :)

http://designismine.blogspot.com/2009/01/etsy-finds-of-week_30.html