Leap Year- Birthday Of Balthus

I always envied people born on Feb. 29th. Balthus, the painter, was one of those special people. He was born on Feb. 29, 1908. I am celebrating Balthus and everyone else who has a birthday today. Here he is as the "King of Cats".

The Art of Amy Crehore

Very unique instrument: Gibson Mando-bass

I used this antique Gibson Mando-bass from 1917 that we have at home as an inspiration for my dream-like "Feed the Bear Blues" painting (shown above, Amy Crehore 2007, oil on linen, approx. 9"x 9"). The gorgeous pod-shape of the mando-bass reflects the wonderful art nouveau sensibility of Gibson at the time. The mando-bass can be played standing up or sitting down (horizontally). I exhibited this painting in my Brooklyn show at Ad Hoc Gallery in 2008. (By the way, the painting is still available.) You may have seen the band Smashing Pumpkins play one of these in a music video. The mando-bass was generally used in mandolin orchestras of the time.
 The Art of Amy Crehore

Looking at Klimt's Landscapes

Auctioned off two years ago at Sotheby's in London, this painting "Church in Cassone" (1913) by Gustav Klimt was saved from the Nazis, but it was also lost for a good while. (It sold for about 26 million pounds.) Read the story here. (Guardian)

I have been looking at Klimt's amazing landscapes recently in a gorgeous book about them.

I like them better than his figurative works. To view more, click on buildings or landscapes in this link.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Monkey Acrobats, Oh Yeah

acrobatesinges verso, a photo by pilllpat (agence eureka) on Flickr.

Natalie Wood 1966

I'm getting dizzy watching Natalie Wood singing "The Sun is Gray".
 
Round and round she goes. Movie: Penelope 1966.

Raymond Daussy, Mysterious Painter

(click on images to enlarge)
Raymond Daussy (follow this link for more images), a French painter born in 1919, was a founding father of the surrealist group in 1946. That's about all the information that I can find out about him, but I like his paintings. There are a couple of books on Amazon that are currently unavailable. (Paintings Volume 1: 1941-1963, published in 1984)

The Art of Amy Crehore

A New Painting by Amy Crehore ("Rose Quarry")

Here's one of my new paintings. Click image to enlarge.

It's called "Rose Quarry", 12" x 14" oil on linen by Amy Crehore 2012.

(See larger image here also)

The Art of Amy Crehore

Happy Valentines Day!

This vintage postcard featuring a pierrot with a mandolin standing under the moon with his gal came from a Barcelona flea market. A friend sent it to me a couple of years ago. Thanks, Val. 

The Art of Amy Crehore

What am I Reading?

I am currently reading a fascinating book called The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, A Writer in Early Hollywood by Frederica Sagor Maas. Maas wrote this memoir in 1999 at the age of 99! She was 111 years old when she died on Jan 5, 2012. She worked in Hollywood as a scriptwriter for 30 years after moving there from NYC in 1923. I got the book at my local library and you can also find the hardcover on amazon. This book has so many juicy details about early Hollywood in it and you will be astounded by what she remembers about her life, career and the people in the film industry. 

Thanks Adam Koford for the recommendation!

The Art of Amy Crehore
P.S. I finished a couple of new paintings and will post them here very soon (after I take photos).

Cynthia Was a Superstar

She had nice legs and she was a very big celebrity in 1937. Read article LIFE

Thanks, boingboing

Foujita and his Cats

Watching Antiques Roadshow this week (part 3, Eugene, OR) got me thinking about Leonard Tsuguharu Foujita (1886-1968) because someone waltzed in with two Foujita drawings (not the ones pictured above, but these). One was purchased from the artist himself for $100. in the 1930s and the other was bought from a bellhop of the hotel where he lived for $5. (it had been a tip). 

Foujita moved to Paris from Japan around 1913 and knew Picasso, Kiki, Modigliani, Matisse and others. He drew and painted a lot of female nudes and cats. He did very well for himself as an artist. I found these cool photos of Foujita with his round glasses, bowl haircut and various cats.  READ about Foujita. 

More images: LINK

The Art of Amy Crehore

A Strolling Pierrot Under a Full Moon

"Carnival Evening" was painted in 1886 by Henri Rousseau (Philadelphia Museum of Art). Early last evening, while driving in my car, I saw a sky that looked exactly like this with the winter trees in silhouette. Rousseau painted a pierrot strolling with his girlfriend under a full moon. This is one of my favorite paintings, although Rousseau created many pictures that I could easily call favorites. 

The Art of Amy Crehore

Rare Monkey Jazz Cartoon from 1930s

Dorothea Tanning RIP

"Primitive Seating" sculpture by Dorothea Tanning 1982

Surrealist painter Dorothea Tanning (1910- 2012) died peacefully yesterday at age 101. She's the one who was married to Max Ernst. LINK to article by Jerry Saltz

LINK to decades of images