Isabella Rosselini

She is the daughter of legendary actress Ingrid Bergman (Casablanca) and Italian director Roberto Rossellini. And by the time she was 28, Isabella Rossellini was the exclusive spokes model for Lancome and had worked with the likes of Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon (see my first posting), Robert Mapplethorpe, Norman Parkinson, and Helmut Newton. But she is much more than a pretty face. Today, Rossellini is an activist for wildlife and conservation issues, as well as a writer and co-producer of several short-film series. Her talent comes from within. And it shows.

My portrait of her is one of my first. Truth be told, I never liked it.
I thought it was plain and devoid of character. But many who saw it just loved the piece. They would say, "Isabella Rossellini! You really captured her ... in very few lines." And over the years, I must confess that she is capturing me in return. Her inner beauty is emerging. In a recent article on how she is going back to school to study animal behavior (so very cool) she said, "If you follow your heart and do what you like, there's a better chance that that is where your talent lies."

Smart. Beautiful. Love it.

Richard Avedon

I paint people whom I admire. Or, I admire their work. In this case, both. Avedon's photography has always fascinated me. Not as much for his glamour work. But more for his gritty real-life pieces. Born in New York City, I believe he remained faithful to his cosmopolitan roots by becoming an acclaimed fashion photographer for such publications as Vogue, Harper's and Life. Conversely, you truly get a sense of Avedon's great creative spirit in his book In the American West. Here, his work is much different and larger-than-life. Literally. His "west" pictures are often produced at sizes of 3-feet and larger. It's worth Googling. Having passed away in 2004, his work lives on at his foundation's web site.