Natasha dans la Foret

Natasha dans la Foret

30" x 22"

on handmade Twinrocker Cornflower Blue wove paper

I am obviously doing another nude- but I am putting a rather Rococo monochrome forest background behind her, inspired by an 18th century etching by Carl Wilhelm Kolbe, a German print maker.

This is a study for a painting, but I am using another model for the oil. Although I love the look of this girl- a rather Sally Bowles, Caberet, pre-second World War, slighty decadent look, she is now unavailable.

I am going to use a young blond of incredible beauty. It will be a different look- a bit more flowers in the hair sort of thing. Frankly I love the Rococo, Boucher, Watteau, Fragonard et al. It is often snubbed as too too frivolous but it fascinates me because it is the art of the enlightenment. Mozart really is Rococo rather than Baroque which was the music and art of the previous century.

This work has been a struggle to find and keep an appropriate model. I started with a dark-haired model- similar to this one but she got pregnant- I found a second model, beautiful- but way too voluptuous. This work I think calls for a rather sapling like figure- more sprite-like.

This girl is suffering from both seizures and is autistic. It became impossible for her to keep up with the sittings- or standings.

I am very sad about it.