Lipstick

In our factory we make lipstick.
In our advertising we sell hope.

~ Peter Nivio Zarlenga


How true that is and even to this day.  A little touch of lipstick can lift a woman's spirit, I know it does mine.  History tells us it has been lifting spirits for quite some time now.  Women in the Indus Valley Civilization  (3300-1300 BCE) applied lipstick to their lips for face decoration, according to Wikipedia. 


The old story goes that Cleopartra had a lipstick made from crushed carmine beetles which gave her a deep red pigment and used ants for a base.


During the 40s, the popularity of lipstick increased due to the motion picture business.  Speaking of business,  lipstick sales tend to rise during economic downturns, leading to the term "Lipstick Effect."

Yesterday I wrote of nail polish, today lipstick for many of the same reasons.  Once again there're all those colors from which to chose to brighten my face and my day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65WoUIo4rAw

Confessions of a Nail Polish Junkie

I blame my grandmother.  One of my earliest memories of consciousness, of being alive, was noticing my grandmother's painted fingernails.  I remember her standing at the door, me looking at her fingers tips and wondering why there were different.  I was too young to even know about colors then but I knew something was different and I loved the change! When I was young enough to grasp that fingernails could be painted, I wanted mine painted.  Looking back, my grandmother's fingernails were painted red that fateful day and that was the day I began my love affair with nail polish. 

One reason I like nail polish is the act of painting something with it and feeling I am creating.  Well, I am creating, putting a color on my fingernails.  It is simply the artist in me, as I like to say, I can't help it.

When I was making the photograph of the bottles today, I jotted down some of the names of the colors.  I noticed different themes:

Names of red polish:  Remarkable Red, Really Red, Fever, Love That Red, Big Apple Red, Rock N' Red, Ruby, Sharon's Heart.

Names that refer to nights:  Black Satin, Night Glow, White Night, Eclipse, Super Nova

Names that refer to emotions and passion:  Russet Flame, Blazed, Swept Away, Self Confident, True Love, Fever, Sincerely

My grandmother was such a big influence in my life in so many ways.  Looking back I think I shared with her the story of being so impressed with seeing those red fingernails. At the time we are making memories with loved ones, we don't realize the importance of it at the time.

A few months ago I drew this portrait of my grandmother.  It was drawn on Canson Textured Mi Tientes Paper using different pencils and pastels.

My "Studio"

One of my favorite artists, Susan Branch, works from her dining room table.  When I read this, I felt a special kinship with her.  Currently on the dining room table is the beginnings of a portrait of my mother.  In a couple of days, I will be posting it.  So far so good on the portrait.

Sam's Forest in Hong Kong, China

Most definitely a departure from my "style", this very small (4 by 5 inches) painting was painted as a contribution to The Virtual Paintout. Each month, Bill Guffey of The Virtual Paintout, selects a city and artists
"roam" the city via Google Street Views, selecting a subject or location to paint.  This is my first submission and I have to say, it was a lot of fun!  Can't wait to see what the next city holds.

Glitz and Glamour

After seeing some photographs on other blogs showcasing collections, today I got out some of my vintage rhinestone jewelry.  I actually wear some of these pieces occasionally.  I also confess, one reason I photographed the jewelry was because I am trying to teach myself more about macro modes, aperture value and shutter speeds. Looks like this photo was in the "wide angle" format.  Oh, well ... I am learning.

Watercolor Paintings of the English Countryside

These watercolor painting were painted several years ago. There was quite a bit of detail, my first time of painting sheep. I love the antique frames, a flea market find. There is some reflection in the glass, I am not attempting to show detail, just how they appear in our dining room.

The Texas Sky

It seems there is always something happening in the Texas sky. The ever changing cloud formations are always awe inspiring.