Let’s talk about the muse and how they function in the life of the artist. We all have influences that kick our artistic butts into gear. Growing up with my grandmother Helene‘s paintings I’ve long been fascinated by the literal artist model. I took a painting class in high school where the instructor told me painters tend to add their own features when they paint other people. “If you want to look good, hire a good-looking painter.” When my maternal grandmother lived outside

I had a fair number of technical difficulties with this entry as the reel-to-reel from 1959 was damaged. You’ll hear some interference despite my best efforts to clean up the audio. In any case, this is an 8-minute interview my grandmother did on talk radio in Chicago in 1959, a mere 17 months after arriving in the United States. It’s delightful to hear her broken English and thick French accent. She’s talking here of her process as a portrait artist as she launched the caree

Immigrants to a new nation are often the most ardent in their love for their new country and my family was a classic example of the streak of conservatism that runs through newcomers. I think it’s the desire to follow rules and blend that immigrants tend to be conservative in their politics. Radicals are homegrown–safe in their citizenship enough to become critical of their nation. [Helene with a painting she did of Reagan in 1981. Yes, that’s a small painting of me in blond

With a photo of Elise from from a few years prior to that same time period. My grandmother was a very talented artist. The whole family has been immortalized by her deft hand. And twenty years later visiting her daughter and granddaughter in Chicago in the 1950s. #fashion #painting #HélèneLasserre #HectorLasserre #style #portraitartist #vintagephotography #portrait #1930sFrance #artist #EliseLasserre #sketch #France #portraitpainting #vintagephotos

Gothic horror, film noire, and melodrama will frequently feature a scene with a spooky portrait. Here are a few examples off the top of my head: The House on Telegraph Hill Dark Shadows The only thing I find odd is that they have so few paintings. Our homes were showcases for maternal grandmother, Helene’s, artwork. Here she is learning her craft in France in the 1930s & ’40s. As a result we have dozens of paintings of my mother documenting every stage of her life. ARE YOU FE

Maternal grandmother Hélène was often enlisted to do the portraits of performers over her long career. Here’s one she did of the French mezzo, Jane Berbié. I love how my grandmother captures the spirit of a person in that single look. From this portrait, doesn’t Berbié seem like a fun person to sit with at a dinner party? Related to my earlier post about La Perichole you can see Berbié singing a piece from that show: #painting #Berbié #portrait #LaPerichole #JaneBerbié #Paris