I've made "The Choice"

How far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?

Literally turned the last page of Nicholas Sparks’ book The Choice, a tale about the trails sent to test the ultimate tie between staying true to a loved one’s wishes and the hope that, that love will remain alive.

From the author of Message in a Bottle, Walk to Remember and the modern heart griping story The Notebook all best seller novels, most have which were earmarked for films before they had been published. Nicholas Sparks has experience real adversity throughout his life and he draws from these to create stories that captivate his audience which lays close to reality and completely relates to the reader on so many levels.

If The Notebook is any indicator then every girl and most the guys I know are itching in their seats with the release of Sparks’ newest addition to movie magic. Dear John is currently making me weak at the knees replaying this beautiful trailer. Which I’ve included!

Kisses in the rain critical romantic cliché but mesmerising, nothing I wouldn’t expect from a Nicholas Sparks masterpiece, the next Notebook I think so. In cinemas on the 14^th April 2010 I’ll be front of the queue and back of the cinema prime position with tissues at the ready, set to be a teary heart string puller with the absolutely gorgeous Channing Tatum. Perfect!

Another story still beginning written after being handed the screen play by Sparks, showing that his name on anything promises any project to turn gold dust covered loveliness. The Love Song introduces Miley Cyrus to a serious role in these long waited motion picture film being release later in the year.

I, like many love to follow their favourite author, but I feel that Nicholas Sparks has already stolen by heart and am heading straight to Waterstones to purchase the rest. Till next time x

Take a Bow

Wanted this post to be short and sweet, overloading my blog with a too much recently that no one will enjoy so these is just a Rene Graua painting and my transcription of it! Enjoy x

My version on canvas with acrylics,

And of course.... Vogue

The Dreamy David Downton

I’ve had to remain calm after putting this post together as I didn’t want it to become flooded with hundred of paintings from in my opinion one of the great fashion illustrators; David Downton.

His work for projects including book covers, advertising and obviously fashion are for big names including M&S, Fenwick, Harper’s Bazaar, Chanel and like many of my featured artists Vogue.

The campaign which really interested me was crafting a collaboration with Oxfam and David Downton to produce a boutique style store front. This really intrigued me as my home town is full of charity shops which bring the aesthetics of the centre of town down making it look drab and dreary. I understand the great work that charities do and that their funding come from clothes sales, but I hope that others follow Oxfam’s trend. This image has been taken from an existing painting which can be seen on David’s website www.daviddownton.com

The first time I experienced David Downton was seeing the brochure for the The Golden Age of Couture exhibition at the V&A attended, the image reflects the beautiful gowns shown which the collection.

This is a fantastic book I would recommend to any lover of fashion illustrations, with full colour images and an amazing assortment of fashion through the ages a must have for your book shelf.

David’s illustrations including numerous celebrity sittings a recently addition is Julia Roberts for Lancome. Julia Roberts star of my favourite film (My Best Friend’s Wedding) looks radiant, fresh and fun. David captures his models that makes their splendour magnified to create a photo like quality that many profile artists struggle with.

This would have to be my favourite painting which I’m currently in the process of transcribing its palette is bold, crisp and expertly contrasted with the background. Love it!

Finally I couldn’t not leave without showing you the covers to celebrate Australian Vogue’s 50^th Birthday, not just one but four lovely images of Cate Blanchett.

Henry Clarke Inescapably Elegance

Black and white photography has always had the ability to make me appreciate the form and the ultimate photographer that can make any woman beauty is the infamous Henry Clarke. The images I have chosen I fell head over heels with, the light and dark contrast makes the model’s couture nearly as impressive as their radiating femininity.

Balenciaga 1954

Henry Clarke was born in Los Angeles (Where I’m set to visit this August 2010) in 1917; son of Irish immigrates to California, like most young men found it hard to get work in the consumerist environment. He traveller east and gain work Conda Nast Studio, this is where he experienced the changing face of post-war fashion photography.

Suzy Parker, Billowy Bow-tied coat by Pertegaz 1954

Quickly He became fascinated with photography moving away from growing trends, staying with the high elegance and whimsy approach. Knowing the importance capturing the fast moving pace of the industry, small portable cameras was key. With his twin-lensed Rolleiflex camera and guidance from Alexey Brodovitch the fairy godfather of successful photographers, and with his own legendary reputation of the new photography, this was Clarke’s turning point.

Combining the fantasy of fashion and the energy of photography Clarke’s career became when he decided against the culture tide and moved to Paris. Only elements of his American beginnings remained as he accepted commissions from French magazines.

By the Mid-fifties he was working exclusively for Vogue, his opinion that although fashion is extraordinary that it is only something we put on our backs and unlike other photographers emerging in this period, he never victimised woman showing their beauty at the forefront of his images.

Clarke creates swan like necks and playful seductive forms through the use of props, he shows the make-believe become inescapably real.

As always leaving the best till last, featured in Vogue 1954 this image is a truly wistful photograph capturing the elegance of the model but has that edge of New York glamour. The pose hides the models face in a way to create mystery; the fashion becomes second to the contrast in colour. Henry Clarke died on 2006 in Paris the city of couture.

Warhol's Wonderful Work

“Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes”

Andy Warhol full of whitty remarks and with his own style that changed and made pop art a genre itself, completely recognisable and one of the most influential artists of the 20^th Century! Ten years on from the turn of the century this icon still resonates, even more then 20 years after his death.

The 60s have been illustrated by Warhol by images reflecting the popular culture including Campbell’s Soup and (what seems to have become a running theme in my blog) Marilyn Monroe. Warhol was born in Pennsylvania 1928, studying at Carnegie Institute of Technology where he majored in pictorial design (Proving that good things do come out of a Carnegie University.) Moving to New York allowed him to illustrate for magazines; (You know you have made it when its...) Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and The New Yorker, also doing commissioned advertising and window displays for retail stores. Warhol enjoyed a successful career as commercial artist but by that stage he had made it in his own right, producing exhibitions throughout 1950s.

Warhol also was creative through film and even had his two of his own television series, “Andy Warhol’s TV” in 1982 and “Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes” for MTV in 1986. Warhol’s work has changed a decade, and is still relevant today. Fashion collection; Andy Warhol by Pepe Jeans London Autumn/Winter 2008 collection.

Six Handbags 1958

A personal favourite of my housemate’s with constant demands in her own transcribed version, an unknown painting and at first glance not a classic Warhol piece, framed in an gorgeous vintage pictorial way.

My love of vintage advertising material and vogue covers is concreted by this Vogue Paris cover Dec/Jan issue 83 to 82 of Caroline de Monaco by Andy Warhol.

Photo Booth Self-Portrait 1968

“Don't pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches.” by Andy Warhol 1928-1987

Anna Knights' Botanical Beauty

This bold contemporary artist provides detailed and an intimate insight into the botanical world, Anna Knights was the main subject for my A Level Art project and ever since I have been following her work.

Self taught artist grew up in West Sussex surrounded by the beauty of the English countryside, she takes a modern twist to the traditional art of botanical painting, using water colours to capture the delicate and perfection of nature.

All of Anna’s paintings I simply adore so I have choose a couple of my favourite to share, and also am very tempted of the offer of 12 greeting cards for £16 featured on her website www.annaknights.co.uk, now that’s the perfect gift! (tint tint)

This painting of the Stargazer Lily, was one that became a focal point within my own development and inspiration throughout my A Level project, having transcribed this print myself I appreciate the aspects which are so accurate and also aesthetically pleasing.

Anna Knights’ Red Pelargonium makes this simple flower appear to be structured and strong with the vibrate red against the white background up lifting it from the page. The use of this background is common in Anna’s paintings.

Another of my favourites purely because my best friends garden is full of these Alliums so this reminds me of her and enjoying a summer afternoon. Again the unusual positioning of the flower makes the subject interesting and realistic.

The Iris for me represents homage to tradition botanical illustration due to the fact that Meg Page’s famous iris paintings resemble drawings which would have been brought back from great exhibitions to new worlds, the first taste of these unknown flowers in a time when photography was yet to be invented.

I had to leave this painting last, one which I only discovered when research Anna again, but is my favourite flower, the blue bell meaning Delicacy and Humility, a constant reminder of the woodlands of Suffolk. (see previous post, Sufflok by Rhian Brighton)

The Time Traveler's Wife

After finishing this book I had to recommend it as a must read, The Times Traveler’s Wife (rrp £7.99) was originally a Richard and Judy’s summer read and now has been made into a major motion picture. Audrey Niffenegger’s writes a mesmerising old fashion love story, in a modern setting with a startling twist. The Impossible possibilities of this tale make it a difficult read (my friends have tried and not been able to follow the interchangeable time constants, although I’m urging them and you to try again.)

I’m excited to watch the film which is available on DVD now. With Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams I know I’m in for a treat, if it’s half as beautiful as the book I know I’ll experience a timeless elegy to love and loss.

The Perfect Gift

With a best friend birthday coming up, I was eager to find the perfect present.

She is much like me a true romantic so straight to Amazon I went looking, finding a poetry book selected by Laura Barber. Her description matched that of my friend, “As the editor of Penguin's Poems for Life and Penguin's Poems by Heart, she has lived, breathed and dreamed poetry – in libraries and on lawns, on beaches and in bed.”

Ideal......... Penguins Poems for Love;

This poetry will take you on a journey from the ‘suddenly’ of love at first sight to the ‘truly, madly, deeply’ of infatuation and on to the ‘eternally’ of love that lasts beyond the end of life, along the way taking in flirtation, passion, fury, betrayal and broken hearts. Bringing together the greatest love poetry from around the world and through the ages, ranging from W. H. Auden to William Shakespeare, John Donne to Emily Dickinson, Robert Browning to Roger McGough, this new anthology will delight, comfort and inspire anyone who has ever tasted love – in any of its forms.

(rrp £20.00)

I’ll leave a taste of the power of poetry.

(Lets hope she likes it!)

I hid my love when love till I

Couldn’t bear the buzzing fly;

I hid my love to my despite

Till I could not bear the light;

I dare not gaze upon her face

But left her memory in each place;

Where’er I saw a wild flower lie

I kissed and blade my love goodbye.

I met her in the greenest dells,

Where dewdrops pearl the wood bluebells;

The lost breeze kissed her bright blue eyes,

The bee kissed and went singing by,

A sunbeam found a passage there,

A gold chain round her neck so fair;

As secret as the wild bee’s song

She lay there all the summer long.

I hid my love in field and town

Till e’en the breeze would knock me down;

The bees seemed singing ballads o’er,

The fly’s buzz turned a lion’s roar;

And even silence found a tongue,

To haunt me all the all summer long;

The riddle nature could not prove

Was nothing else but secret love.

John Clare

Photograph, Suffolk by Rhian Brighton

The Girl behind the Painting

I’m have enjoyed writing about what really interested me for the last two months and have discovered the joy of blogging so far. Countless times I’ve tried to write about things that are current and news worthy, but I feel that most of my influence comes from things that have happened in the past. Also with being retro becoming so chic this is how I will continue.

It did although occur to me that I hadn’t really introduced myself, but instead the content of the blog. So I would like to start by saying “Hi!” and explaining why I had decided to use a painting instead of a photo for my profile.

Two words..... Rene Gruau

Rene Gruau (1909-2004) one of the greatest fashion illustrators ever to have lived and an ultimate favourite of mine. No one paints glamour and elegance like him, being commissioned for numerous vogue covers the legendary Gruau’s work embodies all that is the fashion world. I will write about Graua a lot in this blog so I won’t bore you for now.

The simplicity of this painting is what first attracted me to Gruau’s work. It shows the flirty but innocent figure surrounded by waves of flowery lines; the woman appears to be naked but the background creating a busy feel she doesn’t become explicit but feminine and mysterious. And my favourite element is all in black and white.

Seeing that I want to share the artists that mean and inspire me I won’t make it a habit of sharing my own work but as this painting is representing me, here is my transcription of this beautiful painting.

Ohh opps, my name is Danielle Higgins, 20 from Suffolk currently living in Leeds, enough from me until next time.

Valentines Vettriano

“To the world you are just one person, but to one person you are the world!”

And today is the time to express your feelings to your lover, best friend or to that person who holds the other half of your heart. So with this in mind I want to share an artist that depicts love, in such an effortless form.

Jack Vettriano Dance Me to the End of Love.

Jack Vettriano taught himself to paint after receiving a set of watercolours from a girlfriend, he had left school at sixteen to follow a career in mining engineer in Fife, Scotland and now is considered The People’s Painter. Vettriano has had sell out exhibitions all over the world and his work has become immediately recognisable.

Ballroom dancing has been a past time of past generations the activity in which people socialise, enjoy and romance there partner in ways that electro house can’t do.

This garden party dance shows the wonders of a warm summers evening that any magic could be possible under the twinkling light of the tree. The class of the attire shows elegance and beauty in this forgotten occasion, where all present embrace the experience of the “Waltzers”.

Elegy For a Dead Admiral

Lost love is apparent in this painting, the sadness of the young girl eating alone being served upon her makes this image one so heartbreaking. As love grows fonder with absent; years women have stood by the shore waiting for their loves to return from sea, so the widower waits too.

This is my favourite Jack Vettriano painting and one which I have founded my version of love on. The Singing Butler illustrates that true love doesn’t need anything to validate it that being in the company of that person is enough to forget the world and be captivated by their presence.

Apologies for the soppy post but unfortunately this is the affect of Vettriano and will leave now In Thoughts of You.

A Valentine's Card

With Valentine’s Day less than a week away, and the corporation conglomerates rubbing their marketing hands together, how should we really convey our passion for the one we love?

The dream of that perfect date, perfect gesture, and the perfect guy to sweep you off your feet, that head over heels love shown in every chick flick, Rom com movie (and boy I’ve seen them) In every shop, restaurant and every diary marked with little red hearts by the 14^th shows that love is in the air this month, but how romantic are the guys in our lives?

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)

I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)

I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)

E E Cummings

Over 1 billion valentines cards sent worldwide every year, but what does a card mean? After receiving an anonymous card this week I thought about the endless possibilities of this admirer but was left with the feeling of uneasiness, I wondered how romance had been altered into an out of the ordinary occurrence, I mean Romeo and Juliet got hitched in the space of 24 hours and their tale is considered the greatest love story ever told.

So when the meaning of the thought is what really counts, then how should these feelings really be expressed? in a unique way besides when E E Cumming is what men have to live up to and all any girl really wants and hopes for is something from the heart.

Valentine’s Day is that perfect opportunity to get personal, creative and romantic, the thought of those great long lost loves should inspire us to show that special person the art of writing how we truly feel. The penmanship of a captivating love letter speaks leaps and bounds and in turn bounds that love.... well at least for another year.

To all the hopeless romantics out there let’s pray whilst watching the stars from our balconies this decade is the one for love.

Barbie's New Decade Makeover

Iconic paintings and images have always influenced a decade, so has the love of a well known friend. Now I always knew that Barbie was the epitome of every girls childhood the one consist role model to base our idea of beauty and style on, much more then Sindy ever was. I came across these images on a blog from Topshop sharing these fun comparisons by Jocelyne Grivard. The Andy Warhol’s famous image is often used to depict the beauty of Marilyn (so apt from my last post) that this fresh versions encompassing cultures greatest transformers with Barbie is her own right as a symbol of girly, flirty fun. It struck me to think that the generation that were brought up with Barbie now like myself appreciate art and fashion obviously including the work of Man Ray and especially the class and elegance of Chanel, and still our love for Barbie is everlasting.

The Last Sitting

A photographer who can capture the soft nature of a person’s image and personality, in one photo is one which I admire the most. I fell head over heels in love with Bert Stein the moment I saw the photo of Marilyn I showed in my previous post.

Bert Stein the famous commercial and fashion photographer of the 60s, was given the opportunity and was granted a sitting of the ultimate icon of style and feminine glamour Marilyn Monroe, only six weeks before her tragic death. The Hollywood actress’s finest and largest tributes are show cased within these timeless photos.

The three-day session yielded nearly 2,600 pictures—fashion, portrait, and nude studies—of indescribable sensual and human vibrancy, of which no more than 20 were published. And yet these few photographs ineradicably shaped our image of Marilyn Monroe.

These images make the humanity of Marilyn enduring the quality of the photography makes them remarkable, with them being the last sitting that Marilyn under took they produce a lasting image of the symbol that many including me a real star. In the soft lighting of the studio creating a dreamlike effect, the beauty and perfection speaks for itself.

The complete collection of photographs is displayed within the book “Marilyn Monroe: The Complete Last Sitting.” Showing many of the photographers that were never released and an insight of Bert Stein’s memories of the sitting where he saw a vulnerable, confused woman who although at the apex of her career, had relinquished control of her life.