More Writers Portrait Love: Nathaniel Hawthorne and Gertrude Stein

Here's a little catch up to what I am doing lately. I have been super busy getting ready for my my next SFEtsy art fair which is happening this Sunday, May 22nd at All Good Pizza in San Francisco.

Here are my latest Literary Portraits:

Say Hello to Ms. Gertrude Stein!

Gertrude has always been one of my literary heroes. Her writing about Paris is the early 1900's is incredible. It seems like you are right there in the thick of things. Who wouldn't want to live in that world filled with artists and writers? My favorite book is "The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas",  written in the point of view of her love, Alice.

To me she is a visionary, anactivist and a woman with a hell of a sense of humor.

Debra Styer, A Stein is a Stein is a Stein is a Stein, 2016

Gertrude Art Print

 “It takes a lot of time to be a genius. You have to sit around so much, doing nothing, really doing nothing.”

―

Gertrude Stein

Carl Van Vechten,

Portrait of Gertrude Stein,

1934

 

Limited Edition Gertrude Stein art print available in the shop!

Here's a peek of the drawings of Gertrude and Nathaniel!

And now presenting...Mr. Nathaniel Hawthorne!

As a New Englander, Hawthorne is in my blood. I remember visiting the House of the Seven Gables in Salem Massachusetts as a kid and I was fascinated. Hawthorne is best know for writing the novel, "The Scarlett Letter",  a scathing look at life, love and religion in the Massachusetts. His work is known to be Dark Romantic. I am currently reading, "The Whole History of Grandfather's Chair" (written in 1840), which is a surprisingly funny and truly satisfies the history nerd in me.

Debra Styer,

The House of the Seven Hawthornes

, 2016

Nathaniel Hawthorn Portrait Framed

 “Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”

―

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorn Art Print

Nathaniel Hawthorne by Brady c. 1860

Limited Edition Nathaniel Hawthorne Art Print available in my Shop!

Right now I am working on a portrait of the wonderful writer Dorothy Parker, I will post her as soon as I can.

After that, who should I paint next? 

My Illustrated Ode to Arthur Rimbaud

Here's my latest Literary Portrait.

Rimbaud has always been one of my favorite poets, he was a true, Enfant Terrible.  The I was so excited to create a portrait of him with all his teenage angst. He was truly a wild one! Sadly, he did all of his incredible writing between between the age of 17 and 20, after that he seemed to fall of the face of the earth. He traveled extensively throughout the world, working at very non-writing jobs such as an accountant, mason and coffee exporter.  Rimbaud abandoned his life of the libertine,  never recording any of his any dark dreams or surreal verses again.

He remains one of my literary heroes...

I hope you all enjoy my portrait of him. 

Rimaud as a sketch

“I turned silences and nights into words. What was unutterable, I wrote down. I made the whirling world stand still.”
― Arthur Rimbaud, A Season in Hell/The Drunken Boat  


Debra Styer, Arthur Rimbaud Soleil et chair ("Sun and Flesh"), 2015




“A poet makes himself a visionary through a long, boundless, and systematized disorganization of all the senses. All forms of love, of suffering, of madness; he searches himself, he exhausts within himself all poisons, and preserves their quintessences. Unspeakable torment, where he will need the greatest faith, a superhuman strength, where he becomes all men the great invalid, the great criminal, the great accursed--and the Supreme Scientist! For he attains the unknown! Because he has cultivated his soul, already rich, more than anyone! He attains the unknown, and if, demented, he finally loses the understanding of his visions, he will at least have seen them! So what if he is destroyed in his ecstatic flight through things unheard of, unnameable: other horrible workers will come; they will begin at the horizons where the first one has fallen!”
― Arthur Rimbaud

Add caption
Arthur Rimbaud, age 17.
“By being too sensitive I have wasted my life.”
― Arthur Rimbaud

If you would like to learn more about Rimbaud, I highly recommend the book, "Time of the Assassins, A Study of Rimbaud" by Henry Miller. It is one of my all time favorite books. 

So here's to the young rebel in all of us....and here's to Arthur Rimbaud. 

A limited edition print of my original watercolor painting of Rimbaud is now available in here my etsy shop! 

p.s. Who should I paint next? Who is your favorite writer?
 

New Work - Abby the Moth Girl

I have always been a bit of a tomboy. I grew up on a farm in Massachusetts and one of my favorite things to do was take walks in the woods. I loved looking for bugs and salimanders, but I was really facinated by Butterflies and Moths.

Abby is a girl after my own heart. She loves Moths too. And man, do they love her. They give each other strength and energy. They even glow together.

So, I say, Welcome to Abby!










And as always...you can find Abby in my shop!

I hope you like her!

New Work....The Owl & The Butterfly

I still have a huge thing for owls. I suppose it is the mystery of them. With all the camping I do, it is pretty surprising I've never seen one out in the wild in real life. Have you?

Here's my latest illustration. I was inspired by the Victorian nature photographs and hand painted photos of the colors of Autochromes.


Like him? He's available in the shop!