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Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Carl Larsson


Art Appreciation

It's almost Christmas day, and I was surfing the net for artists or photographers who were primarily known for Christmas themes.

I came across Swedish painter Carl Larsson. He grew up in extreme poverty, attended the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts at the age of thirteen, and became a graphic artist for newspapers, magazines and books before moving to Paris at the age of 24. He then met his wife, Karin Bergöö, another artist, at a Scandinavian artists' colony outside Paris who had an influence in his work.

His wife and children became his models, and he is more recognized for his paintings of his family during Christmas.

You can learn more about Carl Larsson HERE.


Brita as Iduna (1900) via wiki

Selfportrait with Brita (1894) via wiki

Christmas Morning (1894) via wiki


Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Larsson
http://www.clg.se/encarl.aspx
http://carllarssonlevenenwerken.blogspot.com/
http://hubpages.com/hub/Some-Old-Fashioned-Christmas-images-for-Art-Lovers-this-holiday









Friday, December 12, 2014

Tom Kelley, Sr.

Photography Appreciation

Tom Kelley Sr. was an American photographer best known for taking the iconic photos of Marilyn Monroe naked which was then used by Playboy magazine.

In 1935, Kelley established a photography studio in Hollywood and began taking promotional photos of movie stars such as Clark Gable, Bob Hope, and Marilyn Monroe.

You can see more of his photos of Hollywood legends HERE and HERE.


Marilyn Monroe (1949) via pulpinternational


Sources:

http://www.durangodowntown.com/kelleystudio/tksr.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Kelley_%28photographer%29
http://www.tomkelleystudio.com/
http://www.mptvimages.com/search#tom+kelley
http://www.pulpinternational.com/pulp/keyword/Tom+Kelley.html









Friday, December 5, 2014

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Chicago - You're the Inspiration


Music Appreciation

My dad use to have a small collection of albums ranging from Pink Floyd to Michael Jackson to Chicago. He would play albums during get-togethers and parties.

One of the albums I remember him playing from beginning to end was Chicago's IX album--back then, shuffling wasn't easily available.

I quickly became a fan, and I would steal borrow the album and pretend I was a DJ with my Fisher Price record player.

When I was eight years old, I remember watching Chicago's "You're the Inspiration" video. It featured the band playing in a apartment-setting with snip-its of couples embracing and kissing.

The song was released on November 29, 1984 and hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.


via warnerbrosrecords






Leon Kroll

Art Appreciation

American painter and lithographer Leon Kroll was once described by LIFE Magazine as "the dean of U.S. nude painters."

The painting that caught my attention was one titled Reflections, which I came across while browsing a blog I follow, La Conchiglia di Venere. The artwork shows a naked petite girl fixing her reddish hair in front of a mirror. Her back is delicately curved from the weight placed on her knee resting on the chaise lounge.

You can see more of Kroll's artwork HERE.


Morning on the Cape via bjws



Reflections via conchigliadivenere




Reclining nude in interior (1929) via readingandart




Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Kroll
http://www.rogallery.com/kroll_leon/kroll-biography.htm
http://www.artnet.com/artists/leon-kroll/
http://bjws.blogspot.com/2012/12/several-surprising-paintings-by-new.html
http://www.mcdougallfinearts.com/artists/Leon-Kroll/biography.aspx
http://tr-art-literature.blogspot.com/2012/09/leon-kroll.html
http://www.tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com/2011/09/leon-kroll-1884-1974-american-painter.html
http://boverijuancarlospintores.blogspot.com/2012/04/leon-kroll.html
http://readingandart.blogspot.com/2014/04/leon-kroll.html
http://maherartgallery.blogspot.com/2012/02/leon-kroll-1884-1974-american-painter.html
http://conchigliadivenere.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/leon-kroll-1884-1974-american/