"Mother and Child Reunion"

8 x 10"

oil on panel
sold

Well, after painting my smaller study you see on the post below, I jumped right into a larger, more-realized piece.  The Mary Cassatt painting is larger, the details are more crisp and that gives me so much more insight to her colors and edges.

Cassatt, like other artists in her time, were influenced by other cultures and their artwork.  Picasso found African masks his springboard to more geometric paintings which lead to Cubism.  Cassatt and Matisse were inspired by Japanese design and printmaking which lead to figures that appeared almost 2-dimensional or cut-outs.  They incorporated fabric patterns in backgrounds and clothing on figures, which was fairly uncommon in painting up until then.  That's why I say The Child's Bath is so quintessential Mary Cassatt.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Mother and Child Reunion" (study)

6 x 8"

oil on panel
sold

The whole time I was painting this, Paul Simon's song was going through my head.  A mother and daughter viewing Mary Cassatt's The Child's Bath.  Quintessential Cassatt - observing the intimate relationship between mother and child, with an influence of Japanese block print and patterns on patterns.

From the Art Institute of Chicago.

~ a thank you to Stephania for the partial use of her photo.

"Tender Loving Care"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

It's high time I featured a woman artist - the very recognizable Mary Cassatt.  

Cassatt was American, born in Pennsylvania in the mid-1800's, in a well-to-do banking family.  She was one of seven children who were raised with high education, traveling and living in Europe for an extended period, all the while learning French, art and music.  She was around 11 years old when she first saw the great French artists like Corot and Ingres among others.

Her family objected to her becoming a professional artist - regardless, she began studying art and painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philly - being one of the few women students in a male dominant environment.  It wasn't easy for women at that time to be taken seriously so she moved to Paris at the age of 22, with her mother, and began more formative studies.

She returned to Pennsylvania for a while, tried to capture attention in several galleries, but was discouraged over and over until the Archbishop of Pittsburgh commissioned her to paint copies of the Italian artist, Correggio, and all expenses paid to travel back to Europe - which she happily accepted.

Cassatt continued her stay in Europe - suffered the same setbacks a woman had to deal with until her big break when Edgar Degas invited her to show her works with a group who called themselves The Impressionists.  For years, she blossomed as an artist and relished their cause and notoriety.

I find the most interesting part of her life was in her later years,  at around 66 years old, Cassatt traveled to Egypt, followed by a crisis of creativity (haven't we all felt that at one time) - so impressed with 'the strength of this Art' that it almost defeated her.  She suffered from cataracts, crippling arthritis and diabetes but kept on painting but was forced to stop painting at the age of 70, as she was almost blind.  She then took up the cause of women's suffrage, contributing to the movement by showing and selling her paintings.

Cassatt is best known for her depictions of women's daily lives and their closeness to their children - as seen in 'The Child's Bath' (featured in my painting) which hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago.

"Object of My Affection"

9 x 12"

oil on panel
sold

I've been working on this for several days.  I think this COLD weather has slowed me down.  I have many friends and fans who endure brutal winters in the north - I don't know how you do it.  I always say 'that's why I live in the South' but we've got temps we rarely see.  I think I'll work on a beach painting next just to channel in the sun and warmth.

As I was painting this new piece, I came up with several titles - a young couple admiring Mary Cassatt's painting 'A Child's Bath', which could mean they're contemplating having a baby, missing their baby or just enjoying the painting.  It's rather sweet whatever the story is.

Please click here for a larger view.

Stay warm, my friends ~

"Slouchers"

8 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

That girl's posture pretty much defines how I feel - generally pooped. The past week has been go - go - go, including a trip to Hilton Head Island, spending time with family and meeting a lot of very nice people who took the time to come to the opening of my show Friday night. Attendance was around 100 - including artists and longtime patrons of the Morris & Whiteside Galleries - coming to see my new work and the new location of the gallery, which is just fabulous. I think one of the nicest comments I got was from a gentleman involved in the catering - who remarked that my work was 'very natural'.

What really makes me proud is the presentation of all the paintings together - after all, I paint each one, let it dry, varnish it, frame it and send it off. It's incredibly gratifying to see the finished work all together and lit up so beautifully. That's when I really feel like I've done what I set out to do. Please stop in the gallery during the month of March, if you're in the area.

This new painting is included in the collection - a couple of spent visitors beside Mary Cassatt's 'Little Girl in a Blue Armchair', in the National Gallery of Art.

Please click here for a larger view.

"The Sari"

12 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

When I see a woman in a sari, I stare. It's wrong to stare, I know, but I'm in love with the fabrics and the drapery and I immediately see a painting in my head. This particular moment struck me, when this beautiful lady stood next to Mary Cassatt's "The Bath" - it was all about pattern and color, and of course, being a woman.

This new painting will be included in the February show at the Howard/Mandville Gallery. For a larger view, please click here.