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Barbara Lavallee's Painted Ladies: And Other Celebrations
Lavallee's watercolors feature highly stylized characters, whimsical and happy, and dressed in vibrant colors. Here she presents 75 favorites from among hundreds of prints and book illustrations, including several never published. Her subjects very greatly, but she admits to having an "ethnic bent" to her work.
80 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1995
5 people want to read
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June 10, 2020
Exuberant. Colorful. Fun! I've enjoyed BL's art for years, ever since I bought (at a garage sale) three framed prints of Alaskan women. Then someone gave me a mug, and I found several children's books she had illustrated. Now that I've read this book, I know a little about the lady with the paint brush.
She likes her nudes (which I had never seen), but I don't care for them. I much prefer the color and info imparted by clothing. And I like when the women are doing something, and there's a background that gives a sense of place and season. In other words, I like a picture that tells a story.
My five favorites:
p 6 Ice Fishing: 3 women around a hole in the ice with their version of fishing 'poles'
p 13 Arctic Laundromat: 8 women hanging out laundry on a windy day
p 14 Potlach: 5 women seated on a bench w buckets at their feet for gifts
pp 28-29 Russian American Reunion: tryptych w Russian dancers in the first, Alaskan dancers in the 3rd, and the two groups dancing together in the 2nd, each in a culturally inspired frame
p 41 Village Traditions: Villagers celebrate a Russian/Native New Year
Women are the glue of society. ... They keep things together, make celebrations happen, care for the emotional and physical needs of the family. They perform the routine chores that keep a home and family running smoothly.
She likes her nudes (which I had never seen), but I don't care for them. I much prefer the color and info imparted by clothing. And I like when the women are doing something, and there's a background that gives a sense of place and season. In other words, I like a picture that tells a story.
My five favorites:
p 6 Ice Fishing: 3 women around a hole in the ice with their version of fishing 'poles'
p 13 Arctic Laundromat: 8 women hanging out laundry on a windy day
p 14 Potlach: 5 women seated on a bench w buckets at their feet for gifts
pp 28-29 Russian American Reunion: tryptych w Russian dancers in the first, Alaskan dancers in the 3rd, and the two groups dancing together in the 2nd, each in a culturally inspired frame
p 41 Village Traditions: Villagers celebrate a Russian/Native New Year
Women are the glue of society. ... They keep things together, make celebrations happen, care for the emotional and physical needs of the family. They perform the routine chores that keep a home and family running smoothly.
Displaying 1 of 1 review