Nattier Blue, Corset Art

I love it when a drawing keeps you up at night, so absorbed that time flies, and before you know the clock has struck midnight, and it's time to slip into the sheets.

I know you know what I mean. What keeps you up at night?

Nattier Blue By Johanna Spinks
SOLD
Le Art du Corset Collection
12"x 18"
Mixed media and gold leaf on paper

Shaking Things Up, Silver Leaf

Art du Corset
By Johanna Spinks
Original oil and silver leaf
Purchase here: $395 free shipping in the US

http://www.johannaspinksfineart.com/#!corset-art/ca5b

It's exciting when a collection you have been quietly working on, finally comes to light and you feel ready to share it with the world.

My new collection is called "Art du Corset", mostly featuring corsets, sometimes other whimsical things that take my fancy. A lot of gold, silver and bronze leaf is used in the later works.

This range is very affordable making the perfect gift for the Holidays  Here is the newest one I added to my online store this morning.

http://www.johannaspinksfineart.com/#!corset-art/ca5b

International visitors have asked, and  yes, I do ship internationally. Just email me for shipping price. johanna@johannaspinks.com

Art Du Corset By Johanna Spinks

Art Du Corset
SOLD
By Johanna Spinks
Drawings, Prints and Original Oils
http://www.johannaspinksfineart.com/#!corset-art/ca5b

You asked so here it is: my new artwork collection "Art Du Corset By Johanna Spinks. My corsets were wildly popular in my 365 Days of Drawings in 2010 which kinda took me by surprise.

http://www.johannaspinksfineart.com/#!corset-art/ca5b

I decided to come up with a collection of affordable drawings, prints and original oils featuring corsets and other whimsical things. I have been working on the collection for quite a while aside from my portrait work. Portrait to corset? Boy, it even rhymes.

Don't worry I am still painting portraits all the time but there is something about corsets which just appeals to me. They have a magic and a story all of their own. And you don't have to worry about a likeness.

Would love to hear what you think?

Face of Malibu, Brad Pitt?

 Ms. Marie Stapel
NFS
Face of Malibu by Johanna Spinks
Single life sitting - two hours

Thanks to The Malibu Times for continuing to highlight my Face of Malibu portrait series featuring local residents who make up this uniquely famous beach town. I am trying to focus on people who might be somewhat less obvious than the Mel Gibsons and Brad Pitts who have put this town on the map, although if Brad calls, I will definitely paint him and  you'll be the first to know.

This month's sitter is Marie Stapel, twice president of The Malibu Art Association and all-round lovely lady. Now in her golden years, she continues to surf on boogie boards even.

Read more about her life story here:
malibuhere

Dazzling Philip De Laszlo

"Reed"
SOLD
Oil Portrait Sketch By Johanna Spinks
16x20
Copyright Johanna Spinks

I was thinking of my favorite Victorian portrait painter Philip De Laszlo this week when I painted this little's boy's portrait sketch...

I think of Mr. De Laszlo a lot when I paint. He and I go way back.

Please go here to see why I am crazy for this crazy talented man's work www.delaszloarchivetrust.com

The Queen Mom in her prime painted  by Philip De Laszlo

Mary, Countess of Dalkeith, wife of the future 8th Duke of Buccleuch in 1932, painted by De Laszlo. 

De Laszlo took over from John Singer Sargent when he got fed up painting swagger portraits. I think De Laszlo loved painting portraits. He lived for it.  I think Sargent, less so.

Here are some of the 'wonderments' so far of my De Laszlo dalliance.

* His mother had the same first name as me, Johanna.

* His third son Paul, later a lawyer,  went to Rugby School in England (yes, the game was invented there) where my dad used to be bursar of the school and my husband, his brother and HIS father went to school.

* I own De Laszlo's old National Gallery painting reference book, given to him by his niece for Xmas,  and authenticated by his private secretary on De Laszlo's death. It literally fell into my best girlfriend's hands in an old dusty Scottish book store. She knew of my De Laszlo dalliance and hastily bought it for me as a precious gift.

* I got the  invite of a lifetime for morning coffee to view two of De Laszlo's famous portraits in the private quarters of Glamis Castle by the newer day Lady Strathmore. The portraits, close to the lush living room, were of the previous Earl and Countess of Strathmore, a generation or so before. This castle also hosts, I believe,  De Laszlo's dazzling portrait of the young Queen Mother, pictured above, whose main residence Glamis became.  He also painted the present day Queen of England as a young girl who unfortunately described him recently "as an irritating little man" remembering the life sitting as a little girl. He was probably making her sit too long although he had the faciltiy to paint like lightening.

*This trip to Glamis Castle was the highlight of my De Laszlo journey so far. I pinched myself so hard having my private view in the castle of those paintings that I was cerulean blue for days.

* An old biography book I had bought off Ebay, now out of print and based on De Laszlo's memoirs, arrived signed by his son John as gift for someone else thanking them for the edit help of said book. What a surprise that was!

* De Laszlo and I stayed in the same hospital, St. Mary's in Paddington, U.K., me to give birth to my first child, him years earlier to recover from an illness caused by wrongful imprisonment during the First World War.

* The art spirits made it happen for me to visit a painting of his I have always loved in the White Bedroom at Drumlanrig Castle in Scoland of Mary, Countess of Dalkeith, wife of the future 8th Duke of Buccleuch in 1932. See above.

* I was thrilled when the current day Duke of Buccleuch, owner of said Delaszlo Mary painting, unveiled my portrait of Kip Forbes at the Metropolitan Club in 2010.

* Now I am just waiting for an original painting or sketch by Mr. Philip De Laszlo to fall into my arms.

And I KNOW IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.  A lot of De Laszlo's paintings have gone missing.

Sotheby's is on high alert!

Yard sales across the country are on stand by!

I'll keep you posted. You'll be the first to know.