SHE'S GOT "THE LOOK"
Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
I had remained oblivious to the existence of the great Alphonse Mucha until I purchased a book about his life and work immediately prior to the latest in a series of Art Nouveau revivals. More than his captivating renderings of femme fatales, I was attracted to his line quality and adept use of color. His acute sense of compositional balance, the enviably sharp detail which spanned his prints from edge to edge, and the caress
of the elegant Japonisme floral arabesques gracing the backgrounds greatly influenced my artwork from that point onward.
of the elegant Japonisme floral arabesques gracing the backgrounds greatly influenced my artwork from that point onward.
It was my first foray into watercolor pencils and portraiture, and I thought what better way to experiment with color and form than to emulate Mucha? As for the reasoning behind producing such a grandiose self-portrait, a popular cartoon character of my childhood, Johnny Bravo, said it best, "Gotta look pretty!"
