After Lempicka

This reproduction of a Tamara De Lempicka Art Deco style of painting was completed as a gift for a friend. I began by painting the bulk of it with acrylic, then to get the right tonal values for the skin, I added soft pastels on top, blending layer after layer until I was happy with it. I have left a lot of the pastel work “rough” and unblended as I think it adds to the texture of the piece - for instance, in her hair and at various points of the drapery surrounding her. It is a lovely, elegant image of a sleeping woman. I am not offering this piece for sale as I have already given it as a gift, but I wanted to show it here as an example of the work I can do. A similar piece, however, could be yours if you like the style, although the pose would have to be vastly different in order for it to be an original. As Tamara herself was quoted as saying “My goal was never to copy, but to create a new style with bright, luminous colours and to scent out the elegance in my models” I hope I have managed to convey some of that elegance with my version of her “Sleeping Woman 1935” painting.

12 x 9 inches

Completion Date:April 11th 2006