From the “Geisha” series —- SC Kabuki

Watercolor and Charcoal on yupo paper 9X12 inches $ 125.00
Geisha are enthusiastic Kabuki fans and their relationship with Kabuki goes back several hundred years. The earliest mention of Geisha is that of entertainer and before Geshia became entertainment for the wealthy they were part of traveling entertainers who set up along ditch banks.  They would perform dances and sing with various other entertainers including men who would dance, sing and performs plays usually from local legends. In doing so the women and men exchanged roles as needed.   As time past, things changed and the roles of the Geisha and role of the men performers became specialized and the men then became known as the Kabuki.

Kabuki and Geisha are enshrined as symbols of Japenese Tradition.

They were the Celebrities of their time and often love affairs between the Kabuki and the Geisha would be the hot stuff of popular gossip and scandal magazines.

Geisha of the Sea (oil painting on wood)

This is a very large oil painting which is part of a series. $ 1200.00 34″ by 34″

Geisha Red 10 by 10 gallery wrap

$120.00 10 by 10 oil on gallery wrap canvas.

Geisha Goodbye

This painting is part of my series of paintings about geisha. I love the way the skin looks on their neck as it peeks out of their white make up. 10″ by 10″ watercolor on canvas,
(gallery wrap) 150.00 plus s& H

Geisha Red

10 inches by 10 inches. oil on canvas 150.00
This is the second in my geisha series.  I don’t manipulate  the photos of my paintings but on this photo I should have.  The painting is actually very white and this photo makes it look a bit blue.

Hot summer days in my studio

I thought I would take a photo of my studio since its half way cleaned up… I’m working on my geisha series. Doing my research of course and that includes hiring models to wear the kimono and make up for my reference photos. I’ve purchase 2 kimono and a obi, also you can also see the Geisha wig on top of the book shelf. Another thing I’m working on is Yupo paper…
Since we (me and 14 other artists…(please sign up now, I need more people) are going to Wild Acres in September and the class instructor will be teaching figures on yupo, I thought I would show Leagh Anne ( my apprentice) how the stuff works. Check it out, its September 25, 26, and 27th. The Charlotte Art league is the sponsor. (www.wildacres.org ). I’ve just finished the dog painting “bad hair day” its in front… its 18 by 24 Gallery wrap.
Then I have a larger painting, A koi painting from the Koi series, its on top of the flat fine, It needs some more glazing and it will be completed… its an Oil painting.

On my small table easel is the yupo painting, its far from being finished but it is what it is, a painting in the early stages.
Then the top photo is the view at mid day of my Koi pond out the large sliding glass window…

I’ll post the paintings when I finish them, thanks for stopping by and take a look at the Art league’s site.
http://www.charlotteartleague.org

Chinese foot binding.. What Women went through for acceptance

Its hard to believe anyone thought this was attractive but most likely our idea of beauty…that  being a women who is ultra thin and our compulsive dieting would seem ugly and odd by the standards of a hundred years ago.
In my research for geisha I found these photos and they are photos of a chinese women not Japanese but some how they came up under geisha.  I just finished reading a book about China and foot binding and in this story they bound the child’s feet at 6 years old.  They had to break the toes and to do this, each day they would  bind and rebind the child’s feet …. tightening the bandages, then require the child to walk back and forth until all the toes were neatly tucked under the foot. Some mother’s had a difficult time keeping the bandages on or tightening them enough and the child’s feet did not get bound correctly and they were basically left crippled by the ordeal. Apparently even when done correctly the person cannot walk long distances without discomfort.  This practice was outlawed by the government in 1958 but apparently in some rural areas it was not reported.  The book is called

” Snow Flower and the secret fan”     Lisa See is the writer.

Now I’m reading “geisha” by Liza Dalby I’ll let you know how it goes…..

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Geisha model

I’m gearing up for my geisha series, Here are two photos, I plan to do several geisha paintings, who knows maybe it will be my next big series. At wild Acres we plan to use the theme Memoirs of a geisha for a stepping off point for our art work that say.

Louise Farley teaches a workshop at wildacres

This year the dates for our wild acres workshop are September 25,26, and 27th 2009.

It will be a gret weekend of fun and instruction.  Wildacres is a magical place and the energy that surround this mountain top retreat is fantastic. If you’ve never had the opportunity to come up and spend some time in Little Switzerland NC, it is breath taking and worth every penny.

check out their web site at http://www.wildacres.org
if your interested in attending this workshop email me at shantmarie@aol.com

Louise will be encouraging exploring other mediums beside watercolor and will be demonstrating Acrylic on Yupo paper.