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

Maurice Sendak on Colbert Report

This almost made me wet my pants:

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