Sitting for Portraits

Hello my FifiFurry loves and happy summer Monday to you. We've been a bit busy in our little realm with Bella working on her updated repertoire and my being the sweet and loyal companion I always am. It's an important job being darling cute and keeping my little human happy. This week Bella sat pretty for portraits at the atelier. ARA instructor and artist, Juan Martinez led an Alla Prima workshop - one of Bella's favourites. 

For those of you who are new to these classical musings, Alla Prima is a method of academic painting that has the artist working directly on canvas - more Sargent than Inges in its 'painterly-ness' but no less challenging for the artist. The photo above shows a demo sketch of Bella which was created before participants had a chance to practice their own sketches, which being half-day sketches weren't completed for me to post.

Speaking of sitting pretty, here are some portraits of Bella that were shown at the ARA annual spring show by Mary N. As you can see these are a more photographic style than that eschewed by the Alla Prima technique. Whatever the technique, it's always fun seeing Bella through other's eyes.

Cuddles,

Millou

Dreamy Prokofiev

Hello FifiFurry lovers, it's Millou here! Bella and I had the busiest of weeks, filming videos and planning new costumes for the winter season. Of course I was content to watch Bella run variations for her repertoire and be a good pup by keeping her company although I was able to take a peak in this month's Vogue in between fouettés and adagios.

We delved into the work and music of Sergei Prokofiev, a Russian composer. Have you ever heard of him? He created some of the most dreamy and audibly intricate compositions for ballets such as Romeo & Juliet and Cinderella. 

Prima Ballerina Assoluta, Margot Fonteyn was pure enchantment in the role of Cinderella which is still produced by ballet houses the world over. 

I like to imagine myself as Cinderella with a dainty glass slipper -  a pup can dream can't she! Do you have a favourite composer? Do share.

Bisses,

Millou

#FifiFurry Love Day

Happy #FifiFurryLove Day a.k.a. Saturday dear reader! Summer is soon around the bend and already I’m wagging my little tail with all sorts of thoughts of excitement. We love summer; it means lots of walks with Bella, more time to smell the roses, sandaled-feet for me to sniff and meeting new friends who want to snuggle and scratch my little head.

Being a #FifiFurryLove is a big job you know – it entails lots of important things like being readily available for tummy rubs, cheering your human up when they seem down and looking so adorably cute that you melt hearts. I just love it!

Because I’ve been ever so darling, Bella has decided to hand the keyboard over to me and so I’ll be your Fifi-Blogger/Editor-In-Chief from now on, which incidentally, tickles me so. While Bella blogs here, I’ll be posting about all things delicious in our world like beautiful music, paintings, dancing and my favourite . . . fashion.

Never forget, FiFi Furies have style and speaking of, we are tickled pink over the whimsy and romance of some of the beautiful outfits that graced the recent catwalks at fashion week. Here are some faves:

Marchesa

Gucci

Alexander McQueen

What about you? Leave a note and until next time, #FifiFurryLove to you,

It's May, Let's Play

It's seems that it's been quite awhile since we've been away. From moments of upside down to creating something new, Bella has found herself busy donning tutu's and satiny shoes - and me? I've been here, her ever faithful, sweet furry love - cuddling for snuggles and bringing laughter to her days.

After a whirlwind of travel, we're back! With lots of new adventures to share and enchanting things to see. Bella dances everyday now and that means I have some time to spend with new furry friends alike. She'll still be curating her classical loves and adventures for you to see but for now . . . it's May, let's play and delight in all the good that's mean to be.

Moments Of Upside Down

Image via Dance.net

There are moments of feeling upside down. I suppose everyone has them  - a pregnant pause behind the cusp of topsy-turvy. It's like a dance - pushing, pulling, stillness, movement, gestures for the sake of a bigger picture of beauty.

I've always loved the ballet. To me it is a moving world of make belief but more profoundly a powerfully expressive dedication to one's craft and art. Dancers are intrinsically athletes - the movement of their body is both sport and art. I think that's beautiful - that one would train to create a work of beauty.

There's something humbling about giving yourself over to your art so wholeheartedly that it becomes a personal devotion.  It's a kind of love story.

Moments of light and dark, ease and challenges, questions that bring you deeper into you art, walls that seem impossible to crumble.

And sometimes, when you least expect it there is immeasurable grace, a guiding hand that leads you into the beauty you aspired to create, a favour that turns the world right when it was before upside down.

Portrait By Juan Martinez

A few months ago I was invited to sit as portrait model for a summer workshop at the Academy Of Realist Art. ARA is one of the few ateliers worldwide dedicated to teaching Old Master Drawing and Painting technique, preserving the academic methodologies used by masters such as Bouguereau, Ingres and Rubens. 

The thing I like most about modelling for portrait studies is seeing myself through the eyes of each individual artist. No two portraits are ever the same. 

This portrait of me was painted by ARA instructor Juan Martinez. Juan has established himself as a prominent portrait and allegorical painter in the field and he has also received various awards from the Art Renewal Centre and The Portrait Society Of America for his work.

His portrayal captures my more pensive and introspective side while still staying true to my spirit and his style. You can learn more about Juan and his work on his website here.

Paris Fashion Week Highlights - Part 1?

 

I'm sure you're wondering about the question mark in my post title. Well that's because I'm almost half convinced that another post is set to follow a la my fashion highlights from NYFW. I suppose they aren't really highlights in the typical sense but my own dreamy soundtrack of fashion meets music.

 

 

Listen:: The Swan





By:: Joshua Bell

 

Haider Ackermann

 Chic masculinity juxtaposed by silky fabric and a feminine palette. I'm definitely one for feminine and all out girly pieces but I absolutely love this pairing by Haider Ackermann.


Valentino

A dream, goddess inspired dress with octanic pastels - another beautiful juxtaposition. You can never have enough frills if you ask me.


Valentino

 And the ultimate girly, boho-esque summer dress, This makes me think of relaxing in a velvet-cushioned teepee somewhere really exotic. . . .


Valentino

 



  . . . and then getting even more dressed up for a night of dinner beneath the stars, the air filled with the scent of sweet fruit intermingled in jasmine and vanilla.

 

 

 

Back To Baroque : We Begin With Rococo

New Monday, new week and a new feature. Welcome to our first Back To Baroque column on Bella & Millou. As I mentioned here, I wanted to create a blogspace that shared my love for classical beauty and art so it seems fitting that I should dedicate a whole column to a style of artistic aesthetic that so heavily influenced some of my favourite artists of all genres and pre-dated the school of Neoclassicism that underpins much of the classical art we see today.

Le Chapeau de Paille by Peter Paul Rubens

When I think of Baroque, I think of the grand, opulent, colourfully verdant paintings of Peter Paul Rubens. At the heart of Baroque is the desire to create works of art that are poignantly dramatic, capturing the ‘live action’ of any moment in the human experience. What I’d like to write about today though is Rococo. Let’s just say I’m more of a Rococo kind of girl.

Now, lest you think Rococo is an ode to frivolity of the highest extravagance (insert Marie Antoinette reference here. I heart that movie by the way), let me clarify. Yes, Rococo evolved in France and the rest of Europe as a reaction to the serious drama that was prevalent in works created earlier in the 17^th-18^th centuries. Yes, it probably brings to mind images of chubby angels, gold everywhere and pastoral frivolity but what I like the most about Rococo is its attention to playful enchantment and lighthearted beauty.

Besides iconic moments in hair . . .

And the societal importance of skills in dance . . .

Portrait By Francoise Boucher

Rococo softened the drama of Baroque into curvaceous form, brought spontaneity and variety to the music of the day as evinced by composers such as Bach and idealized beauty by adding a sense of childlike wonder.

Hall of Mirrors, Amalienburg, Nymphenburg Palace Park, Munich

Architecture remained heavily ornamental yet décor became more personal and reliant on the need to showcase a comfortable space where tete –a- tetes could be held more intimately and love letters written in flair and style.

Perhaps the works of this era capture our imagination because of their inherent idealism. We find ourselves fascinated by the artistic attention given to creating beauty of a most heightened level simply as an end to itself.  And if that doesn’t do it for you . . . well there are iconic moments in hair by Marie Antointette!