Thinking of Monet

Monet's last years fall into the Belle Epoque....and his art reflected those carefree years before WWI changed the world for good. I have been absent from this blog for more than a year. My husband was diagnosed with a serious illness shortly after the previous blog. I nursed him, and lost him in May. As it goes, it took  a long time to pick up my art again...and I am glad to find that my blogs and my patient followers are still here.

In my new painting, I created a carefree landscape. It is inspired by spring and by matric dance photos I have seen. I am also posting some Monet images:

"Lilac Brollies" by artist Marie Theron
405mm x 305mm oil on canvas board
SOLD

I quite liked an earlier painting that I did in 2011, called "Busy Lizzies". On seeing a photo of figures in movement that I would love to paint, I immediately reverted back to that cool fresh style of painting. The new one is simply called "Lilac Brollies" to rhyme with the earlier name. To crown it all, the owner of the first painting, wants to buy the new painting as well.

"Busy Lizzies" (2011) by artist Marie Theron
405mm x 305 mm oil on board
SOLD

The freshness of the Great Masters of Impressionist painting, will always be appealing, and I decided to add some "wiki" images of Monet's umbrella ladies to this post for everyone to enjoy again and again!

MONET

MONET

MONET

MONET

The Edwardian Era: A Winter Hat

Large Edwardian hats were easily worn over large hairstyles. The tornure and other frames and pads were used to support hairstyles in such a way that it looked feminine and not stiff. Onto these hairstyles a hat of any size could be securely pinned. It could be the forward leaning saucer hats of my previous posts, or it could be heavy, wide and cozy hats, perfect for winter, like in this painting.

I love the website Fashion-era.com where so much research have gone into the many articles. I recommend that you visit the sections on hair and hats from 1900 to 1918 for some fascinating facts. I learnt, for instance, that there were workshops called "plummasiers" where feathers were dyed and made into ornaments. Hats could be very expensive and Edwardians were quite extravagant. When whole birds were made into hat ornaments it was decided after a while that the press should not report about them, to put a stop to the fashion.

I am still using mostly clip art images as my inspiration for paintings on this blog. This image was found in Dover books. The hat is made in warm velvet layers lined with black and is worn with a suit, a fashion that started about 1908.

Hats for Smart Wear

Towards 1927 smart suits were worn by women and "misses" alike. The world started a lasting love affair with crisp white shirts, also called overblouses in the Twenties as they were not always tucked into the skirts but had a band around the hips to round off the design. The blouses could be made from chiffon, a material called radium silk, and popular English broadcloth! Now why does that last material sound so strong and practical?

Feathers and porcupine quils were found on hats throughout the Twenties and I decided to use a Berti Borelli type of design for my belle with the unexposed hair, the black parts being part of the hat design and not hair! And, yes, you can buy vintage style hats on E-Bay today! And one last thought, one can still spot the Victorian bonnet in the style!

Wearing a scarf with Flair

There is one thing about a Frenchwoman: she definitely knows how to wear a scarf! In my bedroom there are some hooks brim-full with the most beautiful scarves which friends and family brought me.

Every Frenchwoman throws a scarf over her clothes, they say, and you should do it too! Do these lovely gifts suit me? No! If I do try one on, no matter where I wear it, it will seem as if I have headache, neck-ache or toothache! It does not help that many of my forebears were French!

This French Belle was one of the first I painted. She was adopted by a small company that sells imported French fruit drinks. Unlike me, my Belle knows what style of scarf will go with her white sun dress and beads!

The Barrel Line

Utility clothes worn by women during World War I, was extremely drab. Wartime fashion gave us a heavy wide skirt in rough material, not a pretty button in sight!

At last in 1919 at the end of the war this skirt made way for 'the barrel line'. Dresses were now tubular with the anatomy of women quite suppressed. No shape and no waist were shown. If you did not have a boyish built, a 'flattener' was needed. The skirts of these dresses ballooned inwards near the ankles to show for the first time some well-turned ankles in femine shoes to cleverly make up for the absence of daring near the neckline!

In my painting, I exaggerated the length of the barrel line, the way it is often done on pattern packets. The soft detail of the belt shows off the dropped waistline which is the most outstanding characteristic of fashion from 1919 to well into the Twenties. The cloth is soft and silky and pastel-coloured.

Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

COPYRIGHT MARIE THERON 2010

The Little Black Dress # 2

180 x 180mm (18 x 18 cm)

Acrylic on Canvas Board

COPYRIGHT MARIE THERON 2010

AVAILABLE in South Africa from January 2011

Price R400 + R50 Postage and Packaging

Wherever you go, however you celebrate this holiday season, have a wonderful time! Enjoy and keep well!

I have loved starting this blog and am full of ideas for 2011. I will be full-out busy with family commitments and travel, but on my bedside table and travel bag I have a stack of books on Art Deco, De Lempicka and fashion history. Already waiting in my studio are some wonderful paints I found: a very pale blue and quite a range of purple hues! It is going to be GREAT FUN for me to pursue this course.

For the final image of this year, 'the little black dress' and 'a timeless look'. The name of my painting is: "The Night is Still Young"

The Little Black Dress #1

180 x 180mm (18 x 18 cm)

Acrylic on Canvas Board

SOLD

COPYRIGHT MARIE THERON 2010

What is fondly known as 'the little black dress' was first introduced by the amazingly talented and original Coco Chanel, who emerged as the voice of fashion in the Twenties. Early on in her career she introduced a short, undecorated black dress for evening or cocktail wear. Even today it is considered essential that a lady should own at least one of these practical items of clothing that can be dressed up or down. It still plays a part in fashionable wardrobes after 90 years.

I made two paintings to commemorate an item that is timeless, both vintage and modern!

This is the first painting and is called: 'Le Dance'.

Cool, cooler, coolest!

180 x 180mm (18 x 18 cm)

Acrylic on Canvas Board

COPYRIGHT MARIE THERON 2010

AVAILABLE in South Africa from January 2011

Price R400 + R50 Postage and Packaging

It should be remembered that 1918 not only saw the end of the war, but also the end of clothing restrictions durable textiles. The shorter tube-shaped dresses, silky materials and lace, and light pastel colours during the Twenties gave such a new feeling of freedom of movement.

I had to giggle a bit when I read how v-necks and boat-necks were denounced by one and all. The press and the pulpit were even involved in campaigns against it! But fashion was persistent and everyone got used to "pneumonia necklines" which were supposedly bad for the health!

One of the nicest developments was the easiness of making these dresses. With a sewing machine and pattern, lovely clothes could be made by one and all. Unlike the previous century, girls from all walks of life could dress well.

Enjoying the Cold Weather

180 x 180mm Acrylic on Canvas Board

COPYRIGHT MARIE THERON 2010

AVAILABLE in South Africa from January 2011

Price R400 + R50 Postage and Packaging

America in the Twenties saw a lot of affluence, with lots of money made in new ventures and even some of it even through gambling. I quote from The Great Gatsby again:

'She's got an indiscreet voice' I remarked. 'It's full of ' - I hesitated.

'Her voice is full of money', he said suddenly.

That was it. I'd never understood it before. It was full of money - that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it.....High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl..... (F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby)

How well he writes. I like it when one knows a story by heart through constant reading and watching films. It is then, on re-reading it, that little gems like this are found.

I tidied my paintbox, and found this lovely colour 'Permanent Magenta' by W&N, hidden in there. How well it matches the violets and purples I have been using in this range so far.

A Little Light Rain

180 x 180mm (18 x 18 cm)

Acrylic on Canvas Board

SOLD

COPYRIGHT MARIE THERON 2010

Although I devote some of this blog to the Twenties, a period that often had very adverse publicity, I like to show the sweetness and innocence of the period and the feminine love of fashion. F.Scott Fitzgerald spoke about "the freshness of many dresses" That love for lots of fashions was always part of womenhood and it is still there today.

Parks and delivery bicycles are so Parisian! I hope you like this belle with her little umbrella strolling outside on a wonderful crisp morning.

The Cloche Hat

180 x 180mm (18 x 18 cm)

Acrylic on Canvas Board

SOLD

COPYRIGHT MARIE THERON 2010

The bell-shaped cloche hat was first designed in France by Caroline Reboux around 1908. It was a development of the dowdy Victorian bonnet. Soon a truly small and fashionable hat appeared in the twenties and became all the rage. It was made of soft felt and fitted over cropped hair to give a small head shape. The shape contributed to the new slimmer lines of clothing during the Twenties.

The little pointed ribbons on the hats were always a puzzle to me. On Wikipedia I found a fascinating explanation. The ribbons were carrying all sorts of messages: The arrow-shaped pointed ribbon showed that a lady was single but has given her heart to someone. A firm knot was symbol of a firmly married lady, while a bow indicated someone interested in friendships.

The year 2007 saw a revival of the cloche hat on the catwalks and the streets. There are lovely hats available on e-bay, designed by Berti Borell. Let me know if you bought one!!!

Street Smart in Par-e-ee-ee

180 x 180mm (18 x 18 cm)

Acrylic on Canvas Board

COPYRIGHT MARIE THERON 2010

This Painting is available in South Africa for R400 + R52 for overnight package ( or you can choose snail to lower costs)

We love to quote Coco Chanel, and nothing was more true than her belief: "Fashion does not exist until it goes into the streets". It took some daring to walk around in the totally anti-Victorian clothing which were the rage in the twenties. My two girls, bold and beautiful, has thrown off the shackles of prudery. They are showing off, which was not the first nor the last time in history. Nowadays, what I see on young girls is a pout copied from their pop idols!

My West Coast blog is humming along nicely and I keep to the formula of REAL scenes. Here in the world of French belles I get to the part where I can "think up" something. I was pleased by the way these figures developed, there is almost a story there. I decided to dedicate this post to K.Madison Moore. I love her wonderful bold planes and riotous colour in her very inspiring portfolio.

Cosy and Chic

180 x 180mm (18 x 18 cm)

Acrylic on Canvas Board

SOLD

COPYRIGHT MARIE THERON 2010

Before I started this blog I have already followed the blogs of Ronelle (living in France), Mangonette and Anne-Marie ( a French teacher in Canada).

All three blogs have the most tasteful and inspiring photos of food, fashion or interiors, lovely articles and poetic words. There is a lot of French style in these blogs and you'll love to follow them.

So to these three bloggers: I noticed today that your blogs related to c-o-l-d weather....so I will just sweat it out in sunny old Cape Town and present you with my cosily dressed French belle!

Demure in Pink

180 x 180mm (18 x 18 cm)

Acrylic on Canvas Board

COPYRIGHT MARIE THERON 2010

SOLD

As I am feeling my way through this new theme, and try to read up about the era of the twenties. I find that in all of Europe and America, everyone tried to keep up with the Flapper times. Garden parties, merry-go-rounds, soft silk dresses in pastel colours gave the times that blend of innocence and seduction. "Demure in Pink" is over-the-top in its sweetness. She sold within minutes of my showing her on Facebook.

Off to the Opera

The French Belles in my paintings are forever living in the Twenties and Thirties. They were caught up in life between two great wars, and everything was out of their control. So they embraced life and tried to make it wonderful.

180 x 180mm (18 x 18 cm)

Acrylic on Canvas Board

COPYRIGHT MARIE THERON 2010

RESERVED