Artist of the moment

Thanks to a neighbour/Facebook friend/fellow art lover, we got into a 'past the art on' thang on Facebook. (I'm ready to sign out of fb tbh...if it wasn't for this blog and the fact I live abroad).

 

So, she posted an artist and a piece of work...whomever liked it would then be sent another artist...they would then find and post a piece of work and so on. It appears I have 2, maybe 3 art appreciators on fb. So its bouncing between a few of us at the moment!

 

I found Peter Doig for my neighbour, thinking of the Scottish connection.

 

And he's now my favourite artist of the moment. Dreamlike landscapes and magical scenes.

Milky Way. 1989/90. Oil on canvas.

 

The Architect's Home in the Ravine. 1991. Oil on canvas.

Orange Sunshine. 1995. Oil on canvas.

The Hitch-Hiker. 1989/90. Oil on sack cloth.

I tell you what, it has really got me fired up to take my Art History Diploma when football season is over in April!

To the Parents

I had a revelation last week. It might not seem a great one to many but personally it has added to my development as a teacher, my awareness of the child's learning as a whole and not just in the class...the Whole Child - what I was fundamentally interested in back in my PGCE days. 

It has occurred to me that that these inspired, imaginative, wonderfully wacky, mostly so un-selfconscious little artists that are in my classroom might not feel so inspired and imaginative and wacky and un-selfconscious when they leave the 'art room'. I have just assumed they carry this with them to the home and if the inspiration grabs them, they'll get their crayons and paints and glue and deal with what's in their mind. 

However.

We attempted to make papier mâché bowls last week in year 4. It worked last year, somehow we all struggled a bit this year. Not a problem. We made it an evaluation lesson. This was invaluable actually and I'm glad it happened. Especially for our little perfectionists (including yours truly).

 

I did make (a mistake in hindsight I wonder) the decision to let the kids take their newspaper bowl home and try and do something with it, resurrect it, build on it, start again....basically see this through. The parents' reactions didn't even occur to me. Until one texted me a photo of the thin newspaper rough bowl-shape his daughter had made, 'jokingly' saying that the new art room [with the new school build] couldn't come soon enough.

And that's when it hit me. Any inspiration or motivation for some children stops at the school gates when the parents ask what on earth is that and the child's self-consciousness flames up and they are unable to express what they want to do with their art, their creation. In class most of them were excited about doing something with it at home and I bet none of them have. I'd sent most of these kids home with some scrappy papier mâché with the incentive that they could fix it and be inspired to do something. I forgot someone could be in the car or at the door going wtf is THAT? And this poor child trying to explain. She's just going to put it in the bin. Which child is strong enough to tell them to keep hold of it, they have plans for it.  Maybe one, possible two in that class. And so begins the downward spiral of forever squished creativity and unconsidered self esteem levels.

No wonder adults don't get out their crayons anymore. I have actually seen it in process now. And once it leaves my art room, what can I do? I have no other help to continually boost these kids' creativity and imaginative processes once they put down my paintbrushes. Maybe the grown-ups have little confidence. As Picasso said:

Please, parents, art is just as important to your child's development, not only academic but spiritual and creatively. She may not need it in the career you're seeing her in but she will need mental release and self expression and the space and confidence in which to do this. So what if she brings home a crunchy indescript piece of paper, to you that's what it is. To her she sees colours and shapes and connections, it's art, ideas and thoughts...it's HERS. Bite your tongue. Watch her do something with it, watch her plan, watch her work, watch her think, inspire her yourself if she's stuck, let her reach an outcome of her own, take a photograph before and of the finished article and then you can be done with it, content in the knowledge you have let your child see a plan through to the end. The journey is just as important as the destination. Give them the time and space and above all belief and encouragement to show you what their vision is. Maybe this is all you need to get your crayons back out after all this time...

Pablo and Paloma Picasso: Why not get arty WITH your child?

It's not what they've brought home, that is the final product. Art should never end in my class, let them continue it in their home space. Let them get messy. Let them invent and create. These are the industrial designers, inventors and thinkers of our future society, remember...they need their brains expanded!

I know he's not an artist. Or in primary school. But as a parent I always try and think like Michio Kaku's Mum:

Artist of the moment at school

Well, it's not actually a lesser well known one this time. But maybe a lesser well known piece of his.

It's Vincent van Gogh's Avenue of Poplars in Autumn.

      

I chose it for the colours, and the atmosphere that he has created, a peaceful, calm end to the day. But also, and more importantly because the children have become used to seeing one particular style or the most famous of his paintings; I wanted them to see that there is sometimes more to an artist and their style.

A few of the children's' comments:

 

"It's very quiet"

 

"The gap above the house looks a lot like smoke"

 

"It looks amazing" (a standard response despite the prompt cards I have up!)

"Very shadowed and unique"

"It is very nice, he used dull colours in the picture and the shadows are unique"

"Colourful"

"I like it!"

"I like the shadow"

"I like the sunset"

First week back...

...two days in and I'm toasted!!! My Christmas holidays must have been relaxing!

I've come across some new and super lesson ideas this week, most likely to be tweaked for me and my ways. The art teacher community has helped me build a much more varied and fluid curriculum for the school and I am lucky that I have the freedom to do so. I'm already liking to keep things fresh and new every year, for the kids' benefits as well as mine. And to vary the corridors from term to term, year to year.

 

Today I had my lovely Year 4s, both classes. As it is an incomplete week being the first week back and all, I don't start big projects as kids are still on holidays. Go figure. That'd be nice. Anyway, it's too much hassle and catch-up. 

So I had a cool and fun activity from Goddess Patti at Deep Space Sparkle, one of her 45 minute ones. 

http://www.deepspacesparkle.com/2011/04/04/robot-line-drawing/

 

Doing this today and following my evaluation I've been inspired to build a block of focused lessons across the key stage on line. Some of year 4's line creation and control was rather dubious and concerning so I thought, across the board, line work should be practised at the start of term, or any time I guess, to get their eye and hand back in after the holidays. A possible block for after Easter so nobody misses out.

Year 4 also learn a little about Wasily Kandinsky and his passion for music and painting. We have fun with music seeing how it motivates us to create shape and line at the end of the summer term but this could be spring, again to keep their hand in.

Originally from http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?exhibit=698199

Year 3 can have a go at line drawing Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night. We do a lesson on mark marking that ties in with Van Gogh so this would work together.

Originally from http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?exhibit=741877

 I could even make use of this Pin: 

http://pinterest.com/pin/24136547976922989/

X

Plans afoot...

Another year has passed, nay, flown by. My analogy for the year as far as my blog is concerned is you know when you start to trail off towards the end of a sentence...? Well, that's it. More especially because you keep spotting something shiny whilst you're speaking. That's my blog. I keep wishing I could write like the girls who write the art lesson blogs I follow. But hey. Life has got in the way of regular blogging. But you know what, I really am happy with that. So be it.

This year's plans (remembering a plan is a basis for change ;-)):

:: keep going with Artist of the Month but with focus on the artist I choose for the spotlight board on the KS2 board at school. Lesser well known ones for the kids to comment on.

:: artwork of the moment, again that comes from the KS2 art board.

:: more focus on the children's art work here

:: my sister's wedding. For me beforehand, this encompasses hen do plans and bridesmaids' dresses. Sooooooo excited....

:: my solo trip over the summer :-) for another tick off the bucket list.

:: and continuing to tick, more like enjoy, a few more things from the bucket list

:: this is my 40th year. I will be setting on a 40th Birthday project that I will complete by the time I turn 40 in January 2015. So watch this space for updates through the year :-)

:: each morning, be thankful for another day. And the people who feature in it. And for what they are teaching me, whether they realise it or not!

My 2013 conclusions:

Be peaceful and happy.

Be thankful.

Look for the lessons in the day.
Do not force or push my way through life. Peace will set in when I slow down.
To have real friends I must be a real friend.
I am not afraid to ask for help.

The washing up can wait. Go tickle my children. Or have a Brandy Alexander :-)

Listen to my body.

Happy New Year.

X

Artist of the Month - October

Ola Rek

 

A polish artist living in Edinburgh.

Here's her blog and her website. Another website that exhibited her work: http://www.kinblethmontgallery.co.uk/Exhibition3.html.

An interesting and eclectic collection of works in a variety of media.

 

I think the point of this post is not so much the artist as the theme of her art.
 

So my last lesson of the week prompted me to write about Ola Rek and meteropathy. She isn't specifically an artist whose only theme is meteropathy but she leans strongly that way. And it's through her I became more aware of that term. And actually since then it's become a feature in my life.

I was well aware that weather affects us in many ways, especially mood. I am becoming more aware of it recently as I think I am a walking barometer. My health seems to deteriorate (migraines increase especially) around March/April and September/October when 'the weather changes'. That's another stock phrase here I'm getting tired of hearing especially in relation to all the bugs going around. 

Let Me In from http://www.kinblethmontgallery.co.uk/Exhibition3.html

Meteoropathy: Meteoropathy (from Greek meteora, celestial phenomena, and pathos, feeling, pain, suffering) is a disorder, or physical condition, or symptom due to climate or conditions of weather such as humidity, temperature or pressure. Someone said to suffer from meteoropathy is called meteoropathic.{Citation...

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoropathy

The first who studied the link between health and climate was Hippocrates in the fifth century BC. However, until recently it was believed that a meteoropathic is the true representative of a hypochondriac, but today more and more scientists associate sudden weather changes with the general state of health. Wind, humidity, rain and climate change can actually cause various symptoms of migraine or asthma to anxiety and insomnia. The latest research has proven impressive data: 30 percent of the population is sensitive to weather changes. In other words, every third person feels broken when the sky suddenly becomes cloudy or starts to rain.

From http://wechoosehealthy.com/meteoropathy/

And just a bit more info if you're interested on what season you are(!). I've figured out I'm autumn.

Summer type of person, for example, indicates a person full of enthusiasm, extrovert, hyperactive person who has optimism and huge ambitions. The adrenal glands are working with these people more active than normal. The consequence of this is that the summer type is resistant to physical and climatic stress. This type of a person only does not like the excessive heat.

Then, there is a winter type, that is somewhat opposite of the previous. These people are lazy, phlegmatic, introverted and lonely. (Don't take it personally!) They look calm, but badly bear pain. They do not like contingency, they are very rigid with their schedule, they prefer to obey the orders. They are full of confidence but may be prone to depression. They do not like sports and their aversion to physical exertion may be associated with low activity of the thyroid and other glands. This type of person is sensitive to humidity and cold. Rains and low temperatures, for example, cause joint pain, fluid retention and weight gain. For them, therefore, is better to go on holiday to dry and warm areas, which will act on them therapeutically. However, it is enough a sudden rain, and they will immediately become terribly sad.

Spring type of person is uncompromising and extrovert. Their life is stressful as they are very aggressive in relation to themselves and others. They are difficult to comfort, do not accept reality and go to the doctor only when they have to. Their hormonal glands are overactive, which is why they always lead an unbridled pace of life. They usually do not get tired, but they also have their weak point, and that is they are never able to sit in peace. This type of person has extremely hot nature, to feel better, they should choose the mountain as a place where to spend  holiday. They get more nervous if they spend they time on the seaside, and they should care about wind, which affects the nervous system.

There is also the autumn’s temperament. These people are sentimental, hypersensitive individuals, pessimistic and proud. They hard bear the stress of climatic factors (extreme cold or very hot) so often get sick when the seasons change. What would be the ideal climatological therapy? To find an environment that will awake their bodies. Ideal would be a holiday by the sea, which will stimulate all their hormonal glands.

In fact, the change in weather causes physical problems due to poor functioning of our thermoregulation system, which is a sort of physical thermostats, biological system that helps us to maintain a constant body temperature. Meteorophatics practically react adequately to external influences (cold, rain, wind), fail to adapt and feel bad. Hormones secreted by the brain gland are responsible for that. The consequences vary from person to person, but usually restlessness, anxiety and insomnia prior to the change of weather conditions. Depression and fatigue usually occur when the humidity is high.(OK!!!!) But what climatic conditions are the most dangerous? Not cold or rain, but wind. For example, when really blows, the level of serotonin in the body increases, which affects our mood. Change in air electricity, which is sometimes sudden,  causes anxiety. But, with gusts of wind come headache, nausea or muscle tension.

I love how this website considered the word as a relative of the word hypochondriac. Funny. No one's going to take this seriously!

Maybe I'm just in a bad mood. 

“(...) the sky is low, the clouds are mean”

        Beclouded, Emily Dickinson

“(...) Winter dawn is the color of metal

        The trees stiffen into place like burnt nerves”

        Waking in winter, Sylvia Plath

“(...) we understand that melancholy is nothing but the internal equivalent of air

        pressure, that is to say the internal barometer of the organism.”

        American medicine vol.33, 1927

(Quotes sources from http://www.artscomplex.org/events/exhibition-ola-rek-meteoropathy)

Lesson of the Week...Weather in Art

I love this one. Weather. Art. Together. Awesome. 

The tangents you (well, ok, I) can take this off are deep and endless but with my little year 3s it's just a small step for now. I'd like to eventually set up plans for weather in art up to year 6 and bring in 'meteoropathy. This fascinates me, ever since I saw Ola Rek exhibiting at the National Gallery in Glasgow a couple of years ago. She's October's artist of the month.

Artist of the Month - September

I seem to have had a run of interesting and intriguing female artists and this month was going to be another one that I discovered whilst back in the UK. But then since I showed my dad my last painting weve had a back and forth text conversation about the artist that my latest work reminded him of.

 

So why not...this month's artist is Roger Dean. And he's from my home county of Kent!

On first glance, he really isn't an artist that would appeal to me. I asked my Dad if he would have his work on his wall...maybe back in the day but not now. As I've looked at his work more I am drawn more to it and notice more detail each time and I'm realising that is a basis for having a piece of art on display. He's definitely going to be an inspiration but his technique I can only dream of!

Dean was born in Ashford in Kent but travelled well as a child being the son of an British Army engineer father. He came back to England in the late '50s and went to the Canterbury College of Art. He is actually a silversmith and furniture designer by trade with architecture being part of his CV as well. However, he became a much respected and reknowned rock artist in the 1960s. He has designed many album covers for the likes of Yes and Asia and has published books of his work. He became known for the distinctive bubble style that he designed for Yes' album Close to the Edge...

...it's this album that my painting reminded my Dad of:

 

He is otherwise known for the fantasy scenes he paints, the almost sci-fi scenes but he sees himself as more of a landscape painter than a fantasy artist. Arches, floating islands, sweeping and swirling paths are all features of these organic dreamy landscapes. He mostly works in watercolour, but many of his paintings have mixed media including gouache, ink, enamel, crayon and collage.

His website is rogerdean.com (althought they are currently having server probs) and his Facebook page is 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roger-Dean-Official-Page/267978434150?fref=ts

 

Enjoy x

Newbie Artist Musings

Well, I'm learning something...

I'm in the middle of my second commission. As you read this, bear in mind I'm a newbie 'artist', I'm going to learn things as I go along. For instance, I now know that shape with colour and texture are my thing with a dabble into sketching.

 

As far as commissions go, when the friend/neighbour/customer/client requests something specific as far as colour goes, I've got to check as I go along if it's definitely what they want. This must get annoying!

 

It's happening just now. Two specific colours have been requested with freedom for design. I'm now at the stage where I'm about to paint in the second colour and personally, I think its looks really lovely as it is...as my neighbour says, it's more soothing. But he knows what he wants. He likes his colour and vibrancy.

 

So on we go with the final stages! So excited and I'm loving painting. Trouble is if no one else asks me to paint for them I'm be churning out loads just for my benefit! Still, at least I have school to keep me occupied soon...

 

A little taster for you...

A snapshot that may be seen as rather obscure and possibly not quite true to the final piece...

A look at other Art Bloggers

I've just taken a look through my blogs in my reading list...I usually head straight to Cassie Stephens...she makes me giggle...and she has this awesome guitar apron that I WANT!! However, today Olive at Olive ART caught my eye again as she hit on a subject that's at the back of my mind for the year coming up.

I think I focus on it already but I really want the children to start to automatically offer an opinion on a piece of famous art or even an artist's style. I know I encourage discussion and opinion in a structured format that leads into the lesson but would like to find another way that tells them it's OK to ask a question or offer a thought at any time. So I liked this idea from Olive and also this one too that makes up more of a lesson.

Olive ART! Do You???: Looking at Art: She has a bulldog clip with her chosen painting and her bubble whiteboard next to it with some magnetic words. And this allows the children to choose their word that they associate with the picture, whether it is something they see or something that they feel or even the mood of the painting. Whichever it may be, as she says, it encourages the children to learn to 'see' more in art.

Her other recent development I like would to see how she gets on with, has the pupil discussing the quote and the piece of art, do they like or connect with the painting, do they agree or disagree with the artist's quote, and the children concluding from this what it is to make art...it's not just about paint and pencils and making marks. I'd like to do this with my year 6s.

I would have activities like this in an area every week and for every year in which they could discuss, describe, think about a piece of art, a type of art movement or an artist. I used to do things like this with Maths or Literacy and especially Science, around the classroom, for early finishers, say.

(Having said that, I am a peripatetic...well, between the classrooms, not schools...art teacher...I have yet to have my own art room. We are having a new school built and plans were for it to be completed for the school year 2014/15 with me having a room. However...seeing as we're in the Middle East, it ain't working like that. And I will continue to lug that huge not-quite kid-proof Ace Hardware toolbox around, with it's handle and clips held on with bits of string. I'm going to see how much longer it'll last!)

Thanks Olive, you've inspired me to start collecting and creating activities like this for my fantasy classroom! In the meantime, for a plenary at least.

Architecture in Primary Art

I've been having a look at the draft curriculum plans that are due to be bought in in September 2014 in England.

I'll be honest, I'm only coming up to my second year teaching art and so haven't really absorbed myself in any great number of art curriculum documents. Technique and skill have been my focus much like Patty over at Deep Space Sparkle. She feels that, like me, her job is to bring the art world to children, get them being creative and developing their skills at the same time. She doesn’t grade or follow standards and she is not reviewed. She uses the word ‘organic’. I feel I have been allowed that capacity by my school as well. As was always the case when I started teaching, developing self-esteem and confidence, this time in art (mine as well as the kids!) has also been my drive.

The point I'm getting to is that I am not familiar with any previous art curriculum besides that which was incorporated within the various cross curricular frameworks (yay...) as it's not been forced to be my main focus, for which I am thankful.

Was architecture a big feature in previous curriculum incarnations?

I jigged the year 5's Victorian art programme up a bit last year and we all loved it so I want to stick with it. We became architects for the day and studied and designed a Victorian house or building. I want to incorporate a Victorian architect's work and give some personality to the theme.

This summer, I took a purely-educational-and-for-research-purposes-only trip to Alton Towers. From the heights of the Runaway Train, at varying angles on Nemesis and Air and using an interior study of the ride 'Hex' I was able to study the beautiful yet striking Alton Towers house itself (for no other reason, I remind you! Killing Zombies in Duel, going 100kph in 2.5 seconds at 4.7g on Rita and having my stomach removed from me on Thirteen whilst my daughter laughs hysterically next to me was all in my break ;-) ).

Alton Towers itself is an imposing yet beautiful Victorian Gothic building designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, a rather busy and productive man of his time who actually died of exhaustion at 40 years old.

 

 

He was the architect behind the new Palace of Westminster/Houses of Parliament in London, completed in 1847. Pugin is said to have made over two thousand drawings for furniture, wallpaper, soft furnishings, tiles, woodwork, and metal work for the House of Lords.

There isn’t really anything on him for kids yet he designed many British landmarks. I suppose this is where I remember my kids are primary...maybe there is more to study at secondary level…

But then I remember that we teach them about the great artists so why not the great architects? Of which there are just as many. (Incidentally apparently I'm related to Sir Christopher Wren...I do still need to research this...but it was my Nan's claim to fame I think!). I was taught to be a science specialist with the belief that the children I am educating are future citizens, constructors, designers and engineers of our world and therefore need to start questioning and querying and prodding and understanding the world around them NOW. Why not do this in Art too? A fun look at architecture in Primary school could just spark something in one of those gorgeous minds.

Incidentally, in my research so far for the new curriculum for the UK, if that's what floats your boat:

“…the department published proposals to reform the national curriculum so that it is slimmer, focused on essential subject knowledge and which, especially in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, compares favourably with the curriculums taught in the most successful education jurisdictions in the world."

“... the current system of ‘levels’ used to report children’s attainment and progress will be removed.  It will not be replaced. We believe this system is complicated and difficult to understand, especially for parents. It also encourages teachers to focus on a pupil’s current level, rather than consider more broadly what the pupil can actually do. Prescribing a single detailed approach to assessment does not fit with the curriculum freedoms we are giving schools.”

“The new programmes of study set out what should be taught by the end of each key stage.  We will give schools the freedom to develop a curriculum which is relevant to their pupils and enables them to meet these expectations.”

"Schools will be able to introduce their own approaches to formative assessment, to support pupil attainment and progression. The assessment framework should be built into the school curriculum, so that that schools can check what pupils have learned and whether they are on track to meet expectations at the end of the key stage, and so that they can report regularly to parents." 

Some useful links outlining the timescale and pathway of the UK curriculum, with particular focus on Art and design of course!

The main link:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/nationalcurriculum2014/a00220600/draft-national-curriculum-programmes-of-study

Art and Design’s Programme of study:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/primary/b00198792/art/ks2
No mention of architecture…only in KS1.

The old Assessment system:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/primary/b00198792/art/attainment

It looks like they’ll be removing that as it is too confusing for parents. Well, I got the hang of it after 4 years, why can’t they? J

Art and Design before the new Curriculum comes in:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/primary/b00198792/art

“…no longer statutory…” “…free to develop…” in preparation for the new curriculum. Sounds great. Ooh, I’m allowed to do that already!

Draft Art and Design curriculum from September 2014…
Can’t find anything on the gov.uk website, I just get sent to the ICT development committee. Dull. ;-) 

I continue my search. In the meantime, I’ll stick to my freedom to develop the art programme for my KS2ers. Even the government says it ok. Happy days. 

Artist of the Month - July

Bloody hell, another intriguing artist I've got myself wrapped up in!

 

This month it is Tamara de Lempicka.

 

 

I had been grabbed by her Auto-Portrait (Tamara in the Green Bugatti) a few months back. I found the picture at a time that I was searching for 1920s inspiration for a themed ball we were going to. I became hooked on the style and was mesmerised by other images from that time.

 

It is just an instant dash of art-deco, it epitomises the era. Angular, geometric, modern and stylised yet she still has the sultry eyes, the bobbed, finger waved hair…

The BBC design website gives a great synopsis of the style, happenings, people etc of the time.

The reason that I decided on de Lempicka was that during the staff bonding trip to Dubai at the start of the month, in Neos bar, 63 stories up, was Tamara in the Green Bugatti. I didn’t see her until we left. So when I saw it in my new favourite bar in Dubai and recognised it, I was stopped in my tracks! It was the wrong way round admittedly but it made me squeal! I realised how much I like the picture and has got me looking at her life and other work.

 She was born into wealth and bourgeoisie, a lawyer father and a famous socialite mother. Her actual name was Maria Gorska. At the opera at the age of 15, she cast eyes on the man she knew she would marry. And three years later she married Tadeusz Lempicki. Possibly a relationship based on dowry and wealth initially, with him being unwilling to find work after they escaped the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution. Nonetheless, they had a daughter, Kizette in 1916 (birth name Marie-Christine). 

 

Tamara’s reputation as a bisexual in the roaring 20s was notorious; this attitude and behaviour at this time was unheard of. She became well known for her scandalous affairs with both men and women. Many of her paintings featured this sexual energy. She was quite a flamboyant character in many respects who seemed to care more for her work and her social life. She abandoned her daughter with her mother but never lost her really, she painted with her as a subject or a likeness, consistently.

 

    

Of her mother, Kizette wrote

“She was strict with others but she was also strict with herself. One was not allowed to be tired, one was not allowed to put off for tomorrow."

Tamara eventually married Baron Raoul Kuffner after she became his mistress. Through him she regained her place in high society and maintained her social life and her high-standing commissions.

I personally think she was a dynamic and strong woman, to the point of selfish maybe…?  I am drawn to her art every time, it’s haunting yet dreamlike and holds my deeper attention for longer than most other pieces. She has a distinctive and elegant style and as I’ve said, it holds the style, glamour, the sultriness of the art deco period for me.

 

Sources
http://www.tamara-de-lempicka.org/biography.html
http://www.tamara-de-lempicka.com/
http://www.delempicka.org/tamaras-life/biography.html
http://theartsyladies.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/tamara-de-lempicka/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/homes/design/period_artdeco.shtml
http://www.ohparasite.com/2011/11/dead-artists-society-tamara-de-lempicka.html