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Laurent de Brunhoff, artist who made Babar famous, dies at the age of 98

Sabir Ansary — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 00:58:25 +0000

Laurent de Brunhoff, the French artist who for almost seventy years cherished his father’s creation, a beloved, very Gallic and very civilized elephant named Babar, including sending him to a haunted castle, to New York City and into space – died Friday at his home in Key West, Florida. He was 98.

The cause was complications of a stroke, said his wife, Phyllis Rose.

Babar was born one evening in 1930 in a leafy suburb of Paris. Laurent, then five, and his brother, Mathieu, four, had trouble sleeping. Their mother, Cécile de Brunhoff, a pianist and music teacher, began telling a story about an orphaned baby elephant who flees the jungle and flees to Paris, which is conveniently nearby.

The boys were captivated by the story and in the morning they ran off to tell their father, Jean de Brunhoff, an artist; he embraced the story and began sketching the little elephant, whom he named Babar, and detailing his adventures.

In Paris, Jean imagined, Babar is rescued by a wealthy woman – simply called the Old Lady – who introduces him to all kinds of modern pleasures. Armed with the Old Lady’s bag, Babar visits a department store, where he rides the elevator up and down, which irritates the operator: “This isn’t a toy, Mr. Elephant.” He buys a suit in “an increasingly green shade” and, although the year is 1930, a pair of gaiters, the fine, gaping footwear of a 19th-century gentleman.

He drives the Old Lady’s car, enjoys a bubble bath and gets lessons in math and other subjects. But he misses his old life and cries for his mother, and when his young cousins Arthur and Celeste track him down, he returns with them to the jungle – but not before giving Arthur and Celeste nice clothes of their own.

At home, the old king of the elephants has died after eating a bad mushroom (these things happened often) and the rest of the elephants, impressed by Babar’s modernity – his nice green suit, his car and his education – make him their new king. Babar asks Celeste to be his queen.

“Histoire de Babar” (“The Story of Babar”), an oversized, beautifully illustrated picture book recounting Babar’s escapade in Jean de Brunhoff’s continuous script, was published in 1931. Six more picture books followed before Jean died of tuberculosis in 1937, when he was 37 and Laurent was only 12.

The last two books were only partially colored at Jean’s death and Laurent finished the job. Like his father, Laurent trained as a painter, worked with oil paint and exhibited his abstract works in a Parisian gallery. But when he turned 21, he decided to continue Babar’s adventures.

“If I became a writer and illustrator of children’s books,” Mr. Laurent wrote in 1987 for the catalog accompanying an exhibition of his work in the Mary Ryan Gallery in Manhattan, “It wasn’t because I set out to make children’s books; I wanted Babar to live on (or, as some might say, my father). I wanted to stay in his country, the elephant world that is both a utopia and a gentle satire on human society.”

His first book, ‘Babar’s Cousin: That Rascal Arthur’, was published in 1946. Mr. de Brunhoff would write and illustrate more than 45 Babar books. For the first few years, many readers did not realize that he was not the original author, so fully had he realized Babar’s world and its essence: his quiet morality and equanimity.

“Babar, c’est moi,” Mr. de Brunhoff often said. In every respect, artist and elephant shared the same Gallic urbanity and optimistic outlook.

In the 1960s, Babar was a very famous elephant indeed.

Charles de Gaulle was a fan. The Babar books, he said, promoted “a certain idea of France.” So did Maurice Sendak, although Mr. Sendak said he was traumatized for years by Babar’s origin story: the brutal murder of his mother by a hunter.

“That sublimely happy childhood was lost after just two full pages,” Mr. Sendak wrote in the introduction to “Babar’s Family Album” (1981), a reissue of six titles, including Jean’s original.

Mr. Sendak and Mr. de Brunhoff became friends, however, and the latter encouraged the former, as Mr. Sendak wrote, to abandon his “Freudian excavations.”

‘I reassured him’ Mr. de Brunhoff told the Los Angeles Times in 1989. “I said bluntly that the mother died leaving the little hero behind to struggle with life alone.”

There were other criticisms. Many claimed that Babar was an avatar of sexism, colonialism, capitalism and racism. Two early works were particularly offensive: Jean de Brunhoff’s “The Travels of Babar” (1934) and Laurent de Brunhoff’s “Babar’s Picnic” (1949) both depicted “savages,” drawn in the brutal style of their time, as cartoon images of Africans . When Toni Morrison, then a young editor at Random House, Babar’s publisher, objected to the images in “Babar’s Picnic” in the late 1960s, Mr. de Brunhoff asked that it be withdrawn from print. And he made sure to leave out the racist scenes from “The Travels of Babar” when that title was included in “Babar’s Family Album.”

‘Should we burn Babar?’ author and educator Herbert Kohl wondered in the title of a 1995 book subtitled “Essays on Children’s Literature and the Power of Stories.” No, he concluded, but he nevertheless argued that Babar’s stories were elitist because they glorified capitalism and unearned wealth. Where did the Old Lady get her money from? Mr. Kohl asked, irritated by the implication “that it is perfectly normal and even wonderful that some people have wealth for which they do not have to work.”

Nonsense, Mr. De Brunhoff told the Los Angeles Times, responding to an earlier Marxist analysis of his stories: “These are stories, not social theory.”

They were also works of art, and critics compared Mr. de Brunhoff’s use of color and naive style to painters such as Henri Rousseau.

“With ‘Madeline’ by Bemelmans and ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ by Sendak” Adam Gopnik of The New Yorker wrote in 2008When the Morgan Library exhibited the sketches and models of the early efforts of both Jean and Laurent du Brunhoff, “the Babar books have become part of the common language of childhood, the library of the early mind.”

Like Babar, Laurent de Brunhoff was born in Paris on August 30, 1925 into a family of artists and publishers. His father’s siblings were all in the magazine business: his brothers, Michel and Maurice, were the editors of French Vogue and La Décor Aujourd’Hui, an art and design magazine, respectively; his sister, Cosette, a photographer, was married to the director of Les Jardins de Modes, a fashion magazine, and it was under that magazine’s imprint that Babar was first published.

Laurent worked differently from his father, who conceived his stories as a whole, narrative and photos together. (Jean had also wanted to involve his wife as co-author, but she adamantly refused. “My mother was absolutely against it,” Laurent said, “because she thought that even if she supported the idea, the entire creation was my father’s. .”) For Laurent, the idea and the images came first – what if Babar was abducted by aliens, or practiced yoga? – and then he started sketching and painting what that might look like. When he married his second wife, Mrs. Rose, professor emeritus of English at Wesleyan University, they often collaborated on the text.

The couple met at a party in Paris in the mid-1980s – Ms Rose was working on a biography of Josephine Baker – and fell passionately for each other. “After dinner we sat together on the couch,” Mr. de Brunhoff told an interviewer in 2015. “She said, ‘I love your work.’ I said, ‘I don’t know your work, but I love your eyes.’ And that was the beginning.”

Mr. de Brunhoff joined Ms. Rose in Middletown, Connecticut, in 1985, taking Babar with him. The couple married in 1990 and later lived in New York City and Key West.

In 1987, Mr. de Brunhoff sold the rights to license his elephant to a businessman named Clifford Ross, who then sold those rights to a Canadian company, Nelvana Ltd., with the understanding that Mr. Ross would remain involved in its conception . of future products. What followed was what The New York Times described as “an elephantine array” of Babar-abilia – including Babar pajamas and slippers, wallpaper and wrapping paper, perfume, fruit drinks, backpacks, blankets and bibs. There was “Babar: The Movie” (1989), which critics said was boring and violent, and, that same year, a television series, which critics said was less boring and less violent.

And then a lawsuit followed. Mr. Ross found Nelvana’s creations tasteless and demeaning to Babar’s wholesome image, as he charged in a lawsuit. Mr. de Brunhoff stayed out of the fray with typical equanimity.

“Celesteville is a kind of utopian city, a place where there are no robberies or crimes, where everyone has a good relationship with each other, so there really is no need for lawyers there,” Mr. du Brunhoff told The New York Times.

Federal District Court Judge Kenneth Conboy agreed.

“In Babar’s world, all colors are pastel, all rain showers are short-lived, and all enemies are more or less benign,” he wrote in his decision, ruling that Nelvana had wrongly excluded Mr. Ross from licensing. “The storylines celebrate the perseverance of goodness, work, patience and perseverance in the face of ignorance, discouragement, inertia and adversity. If only the values of Babar’s world were evident from the papers filed in this lawsuit?

In addition to his wife, Mr. de Brunhoff is also survived by his brothers Mathieu and Thierry-Jean; a daughter, Anne de Brunhoff, and son, Antoine de Brunhoff, from his first marriage to Marie-Claude Bloch, which ended in divorce; a stepson, Ted Rose; and several grandchildren.

“Babar and I both enjoy a friendly family life,” Mr. de Brunhoff wrote in 1987. “We take equal care to avoid overdramatizing the events or situations that arise. If we take the right, efficient steps, we both believe there will be a happy ending. When writing a book, my intention is to entertain, not to deliver a ‘message’. But still you can of course say that there is a message in the Babar books, a message of non-violence.”

Babar’s stories have been translated into 18 languages, including Japanese and Hebrew, and have sold many millions of copies. Mr. de Brunhoff’s last book, “Babar’s Guide to Paris,” was published in 2017.

“Laurent’s idea of a good story,” Ms. Rose said on the phone, “is this: something bad happens, no one panics, and it all works out.”

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Conrad Sewell opens up about his exciting wedding plans and discusses leaving his record label to become an independent artist

Sabir Ansary — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 05:16:09 +0000

By Campbell Greaves for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 01:11 EDT, March 21, 2024 | Updated: 01:11 EDT, March 21, 2024

Conrad Sewell has dished on his exciting wedding plans and revealed why he chose to become an independent artist.

The Australian singer, 35, has given insight into his exciting future plans with his fiancée Jasmine Hingston as they prepare to tie the knot.

Conrad appeared on Brisbane’s B105 Breakfast show Stav, Abby & Matt and revealed he is moving to the US for two years with Jasmine and their two children.

With his move just weeks away, he revealed that they are stopping along the way to Hawaii to scout locations for their wedding, although they haven’t set a date yet.

“We’re leaving for America on April 18 and flying on to Hawaii to see a few locations,” he told the hosts.

Conrad Sewell has dished on his exciting wedding plans and revealed why he chose to become an independent artist

Conrad also spoke to the breakfast team about his struggles in the music industry and how his career has changed since becoming an independent artist.

“We don’t make money for music… you go into a record deal knowing you’re not going to make any money on that side,” he said.

The artist has signed contracts with record labels such as Universal, Warner and Sony throughout his career.

But after his last album with Sony, Conrad decided to take his career in a new direction and become an independent artist.

“This feels fresh and new to me, I just took back the power, I want to release music right away,” he said of the big change.

Conrad and Jasmine are moving to the US with their two children and plan to stop along the way in Hawaii to scout locations for a wedding

The couple have yet to set a date for their special day, but will start scouting locations in a few weeks. They share two children: Faith Rose Annelise and Memphis Rose Ignatius

It comes after Conrad and his fiancée Jasmine welcomed their second child together in December.

The Start Again hitmaker announced the exciting news on Instagram, along with a series of adorable photos of the little tot.

“XIII.XII.XXIII Faith Rose Annelise Sewell,” he captioned the post, revealing that his little girl was born on December 13.

The couple welcomed their first child, Memphis Rose Ignatius, in March 2022.

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I’m a make-up artist and there are twelve cheap Primark beauty buys you need to try

Jeffrey Bailey — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 11:53:51 +0000

A make-up artist has revealed the 12 cheap Primark buys you need to try.

So if you’re a beauty lover but on a budget, listen first and then sprint to Primark.

A professional make-up artist has revealed her favorite 12 Primark productsCredit: tiktok/@elizabethmarleymakeup

While she raves about the cheap lip liners, she also shared her thoughts on this £4.50 cream bronzerCredit: tiktok/@elizabethmarleymakeup

Elizabeth described the £3 eyebrow pencils as ‘so underrated’Credit: tiktok/@elizabethmarleymakeup

Elizabeth Marley, a professional makeup artist, said the eyebrow pencils are seriously “underrated” while the powder blushers are “really affordable.”

The beauty professional took to TikTok to show off her favorite Primark purchases, leaving many open-mouthed.

She said: “These are the best Primark beauty picks, approved by a make-up artist.

“The cream bronzer [Bronze Whip, £4.50] is so Niceit’s just a shame that it’s only available in one color.

A queer Chinese artist finds liberation through folk art

Jeffrey Bailey — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 09:47:26 +0000

During the years he hid his sexuality from his children and village neighbors, Xiyadie used short-bladed scissors on rice paper and gave shape to unfulfilled dreams.

At first glance, his creations conform to traditional carved designs of animals and auspicious symbols that adorn doorways and windows in China. But a closer look at the shapes – birds, butterflies and blossoms perched on winding vines – reveals bodies linked in the throes of intimacy or separated by brick walls.

The artist, 60, who goes by the pseudonym Xiyadie, was born in a farming village in northern China, and he makes strange paper cuts. Paper cutting is a folk tradition from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 CE), which involves cutting sharp lines and shapes into folded layers of rice paper. It’s about cutting away the negative space to reveal the image within.

Xiyadie’s home province of Shanxi was a center for folk art; in his hometown, paper cuts marked births, weddings and New Year’s celebrations. The women in the village passed on the craft to their daughters and daughters-in-law. Xiyadie said he learned it by observing his mother and village matriarchs.

He usually cut freehand, sometimes using the indentations he made with his fingernails as outlines, and then painted his creations with green, pink, red and yellow pigments. He began making homoerotic paper cutouts in the 1980s as he struggled with his hidden sexuality, but he kept these works to himself for years.

Until 1997, homosexuals in China were at risk of persecution; Homosexuality was only removed from the official list of mental disorders drawn up by the Chinese Society of Psychiatry in 2001.

“I put the feelings for men that I wasn’t allowed to have into my creations,” he said in a telephone interview.

In China, many artists who have achieved success have received formal training at elite art schools, and the most visible queer artists tend to come from relatively privileged urban backgrounds. Mimi Chun, founder and director of Blindspot Gallery in Hong Kong. Xiyadie, on the other hand, creates extended scenes from his time as a closeted farmer and then as a migrant worker touring the Chinese capital.

“He bridges the gap between folk art and strangeness, building a dialogue between these two very different worlds,” she added.

The gallery will display more than 30 of his works during the exhibition “Xiyadie: Butterfly Dream,” of an opening reception and an artist talk on Saturday. The show continues Monday and runs through May 11. The pieces connect different chapters in his life, including one of his first sexual encounters.

“Train” (1986) shows Xiyadie locked in an embrace with a uniformed attendant, the figures’ legs moving along with the connecting rods. A green background surrounds them, as if to underline the natural order of his rendezvous; a rabbit raises a victorious red flag in celebration.

“The flowers and leaves, the sun, the moon and the birds are all part of my lingua franca – they convey my deepest thoughts,” said Xiyadie.

Xiyadie married a woman at the insistence of his family, he said. They had two children, and their son was paralyzed by cerebral palsy. Xiyadie cared for the children at home for several years while his wife worked in a hospital. The filmmaker Sha Qing documented the family’s struggle in a 2002 documentary: “Source,” years before Xiyadie became known as an artist.

Xiyadie described the early years of his marriage as a puppet show he couldn’t get out of. Towering walls or doors separated his home life from his secret rendezvous or fantasies. In “Sewn” (1999), he is stuck in a house with a traditional tiled roof. As he stares from the train at a photo of his lover (a recurring figure in his work), he sits atop a sword lying on its side and sews up his genitals, then pierces the roof with the giant sewing needle.

“I always wanted to break tradition and convention,” he said. “I wanted freedom. I wanted liberation.”

Years later, in 2005, he moved to Beijing in search of higher income and more artistic opportunities, discovering a vibrant gay community. His family remained in their hometown, but his son came to live with him in 2013 for better medical treatment in the capital.

He began using the city’s boating spaces as a backdrop in his work, depicting dance-like rendezvous and ecstatic orgies in parks.

“When I came to Beijing, I felt like a frozen butterfly flying towards spring,” he said.

He gained a following among queer art collectors in Beijing, and his 2010 debut at the now-closed Beijing LGBT Center has led to exhibitions in Europe, Asia, and the United States, including a 2023 solo exhibition at the Beijing LGBT Center. Drawing Center in New York. The pseudonym he chose after he began exhibiting his art, Xiyadie, translates to “Siberian Butterfly,” referencing the drafty cold of his hometown and the resilience required to pursue freedom.

“I’ve been cutting butterflies since the beginning,” he said. “It’s one of my strengths.”

In his work he often gave himself and his lovers wings. It is also a dream he cherished for his son, who could not walk and died in 2014. In ‘Hoping’ (2000), one of the most moving pieces depicting his family, his son rises from the wheelchair and sprouts wings, like a butterfly in metamorphosis.

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A new Banksy? Locals suspect tree mural which appeared overnight on the side of a building in north London could be the latest offering by the elusive street artist

Albert Elence — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 10:04:42 +0000

A suspected Banksy artwork has appeared overnight on the side of a building near Finsbury Park in London.

The artwork shows a splattering of green which has been painted behind a bare tree to look like foliage, with a stencil of a person holding what appears to be a pressure hose next to it.

The artwork has already been gathering Banksy fans to the location on Hornsey Road in north London as they inspect it to see if it could be the real thing.

James Peak, who created the BBC Radio 4 series The Banksy Story, rushed to the scene after receiving a tip-off.

He told the BBC: ‘To my mind it looks like a dead cert.

A suspected Banksy artwork has appeared overnight on the side of a building near Finsbury Park in London

The artwork shows a splattering of green which has been painted behind a bare tree to look like foliage, with a stencil of a person holding what appears to be a pressure hose next to it

The artwork has already been gathering Banksy fans to the location on Hornsey Road in north London as they inspect it to see if it could be the real thing

The bare wall pictured one year ago on March 2023 – it showed no greenery

‘But as ever with Banksy – you never quite know, until he fesses up by posting it on his website.’

Banksy fans have been keeping a careful watch on the secretive artist’s social media channels to see if the Finsbury Park painting, which appeared on Sunday, gets confirmed.

Mr Peak said the artwork had the hallmarks of a Banksy due to its clear message that nature is struggling and it is up to us to get it back.

He said another clue was the fact it was done with minimum effort but still looked really cool.

Banksy’s eye for detail could also be on display as the colour of the paint matches the one used for street signs by Islington Council.

The lack of leaves, despite it being Spring, could also have inspired Banksy to make the painting.

The bare wall pictured in July 2022 showing the tree with a lot more green foliage

Banksy’s eye for detail could also be on display as the colour of the paint matches the one used for street signs by Islington Council

Local Islington Labour councillor Flora Williamson wrote on Twitter/X: ‘By far the most exciting thing to happen on todays canvass session on hornsey road was seeing that Banksy had come to Tollington over night.

‘Lots of local interest – I’m a fan of it.’

A resident of the area Amy wrote on Twitter: ‘Proud new caretakers of an apparent new #Banksy piece in Finsbury Park… Woke up this morning to it on the side of flat. You can just about see us smiling proudly on our balcony.’

One local joked on social media: ‘Banksy came overnight and now my rent will skyrocket.’

Paul Drinot wrote on social media: ‘If this is a Banksy, it’s the best thing that’s happened to the Hornsey Road in years.’

The possible reveal of a new Banksy comes after the last time his art was revealed in London ended in scandal.

Two men were arrested and were bailed for allegedly using bolt cutters to steal the artwork which pictured a stop sign featuring three military drones.

Once Banksy announced on social media the artwork belonged to him in an Instagram post shortly after midday on December 23, two men appeared at the scene and cut down the artwork before running off.

The ‘Banksy bandit’ suspects allegedly stole the stop sign piece of art from a Peckham street in broad daylight in December

The piece of art was chopped off with bolt cutters just an hour after it was officially unveiled by the underground artist on December 23

Two men were bailed pending further inquiries last month but the police have yet to recover the artwork

A pair of bolt cutters were left behind

Police have yet to recover the peice of art, but one gallery owner told the BBC at the time it could be worth up to £500,000.

It was widely interpreted by followers of the artist as calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The Instagram revelation led to a stream of locals descending on the site and taking photos of the installation on their phones.

But at around 12.30pm, the peaceful scene was shattered by the arrival of two men, one of whom balanced precariously on an Lime e-bike while hurriedly hacking the sign down with bolt cutters.

Pieces by the rogue artist have previously been sold for millions of pounds.

Banksy did not comment on the drama of the theft, but had been warned by a social media user: ‘The sign will be snatched pronto.’

The drones on the piece resembled those on another artwork, Civilian Drone Strike, which depicted them destroying a house while a little girl and her dog watch on in horror.

The stop sign drones resemble those on another artwork, Civilian Drone Strike, which depicted them destroying a house while a little girl and her dog watch on in horror – it was sold for £200,000

‘Love is in the Bin’, a Banksy artwork that half-shredded itself during a 2018 auction, sold for £18.6 million – four times its estimate – in 2021

The video showing Love is in the Bin getting shredded after auction went viral

Prints of three of Banksy’s works are seen above at Sotheby’s in February 2022. Centre is Kissing Coppers, next to Girl with Balloon and ‘Vandalised Oils (Choppers)’

It was sold for £200,000 to raise funds in opposition to a London arms fair.

Banksy, whose career began in the 90s, is known by millions of people thanks to the appearance of dozens of iconic artworks in unexpected locations around the world, with many having gone on to sell for millions.

For years his identity has been a hot topic, with names such as Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja and Gorillaz founder Jamie Hewlett being floated around.

Also suggested is public schoolboy Robin Gunningham, who was ‘unmasked’ as Banksy by the Mail On Sunday in 2008 after an investigation into his past.

Regardless of who he his, Banksy’s works are hot property on the art market.

In 2021, his ‘Love is in the Bin’ work was bought for more than £18million, with its value having been boosted after a shredder hidden in its frame cut it to pieces moments after it was sold for the first time in 2018.

Pictured: Banksy’s Sweep It Under the Carpet mural

Banksy’s career timeline

Early 1990s: His work begins appearing in Bristol
Late 1990s: He moves to London and gains public recognition
2000s: Banksy becomes the most famous graffiti artist in the UK and begins hosting exhibitions across the country and abroad
2003: He disguises himself as a pensioner and installs one of his own works in a vacant spot in the Tate Britain, London
2004: He sneaks into the Louvre in Paris and hangs his own version of the Mona Lisa
2010: He directs Exit Through the Gift Shop: A Banksy Film moves to New York and is now the most famous graffiti artist in the world

The work, previously known as ‘Girl with Balloon’, was just one of more than a dozen of Banksy’s creations that have sold for more than £2million.

Banksy uses art as a form of activism, regularly making societal and political statements with their works.

Having also sprayed his tag across Bristol, Banksy then evolved with the times and began creating more sophisticated pieces, whilst always keeping his identity hidden.

One of Banksy’s earliest works is the The Mild Mild West.

The large mural was painted in 1999 in Bristol’s Stokes Croft and shows a teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at three riot police.

It was painted by the artist over three days in broad daylight and is still in the city today, among some of Banksy’s other works.

The exhaustive MoS investigation into Banksy’s identity heard from dozens of friends, former colleagues, enemies, flatmates and even family members.

The search began with an image of a man in Jamaica at work with his stencils and cans of spray paint.

Although Banksy denied the image showed him, the Mail’s investigation was later backed by researchers at Queen Mary University.

They used ‘geographic profiling’ – a technique more often used to catch criminals or track outbreaks of disease – to plot the locations of 192 of Banksy’s presumed artworks.

The sites indicated ‘hot spots’ which were narrowed down to pinpoint an individual. Peaks within these clusters were found to correlate to a pub, playing fields and residential addresses closely linked to Mr Gunningham and his friends and family.

Mr Gunningham attended Bristol Cathedral School and was born in July 1973. A school photo of him bore a striking resemblance to the man in the Jamaica photograph.

A former school friend described him as being ‘extremely talented’ at art and admitted he would ‘not be at all surprised’ if he was Banksy.

In anonymous interviews he has done, Banksy has said he first became interested in graffiti at school.

And a fellow artist he was living with in Bristol in 1998, Luke Egan, went on to exhibit with Banksy at Santa’s Ghetto, an art store in London’s West End.

However, Mr Gunningham’s family denied that he was Banksy and the link was never explicitly confirmed.

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I’m a celebrity makeup artist, and here’s everything you’re doing wrong with makeup brushes

Sabir Ansary — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 00:06:37 +0000

Edy London worked as an eyelash extension expert, but had to temporarily close her doors during the first lockdown at the beginning of this year.

To occupy her time, Edy designed makeup brushes because she was frustrated by the lack of good options on the market.

“Now that I’ve started my career as a make-up artist – I’ve worked with brands like Maybelline and at events like London Fashion Week, and a number of A-list models and actors and actresses – I understand eye shapes and bone structure,” she explained.

‘The idea to grow my beauty offering came to me during the lockdown. As I put my eyelash extensions business on hold, I realized this was the moment where I could be as productive as possible and launch a collection of high-quality at-home makeup brushes and strip lashes,” she explained.

Edy London worked as an eyelash extension expert, but had to temporarily close her doors during the first lockdown at the beginning of this year

Arabella Chi has modeled for the brand

“When I researched the market, from my past experiences, makeup brushes seemed to fall into one of two categories: they were either exorbitantly expensive, or cheap and scratchy.”

‘I have launched a collection of 28 carefully designed brushes with wooden handles and ultra-thin, silky bristles that are vegan and cruelty-free.

‘I have chosen four of my favorite colors for my customers to choose from and eight different sets that have been carefully designed for my customers’ needs, with a careful and precise description of the purpose of the brush and the purpose of the set.

‘The brushes can be purchased in sets or individually. Designed in four different colors – turquoise, lemon, cool gray and pale pink – the matte paint finish provides better grip.

‘Sold in ‘all’ purpose sets, from just face or eye sets, it is possible to mix and match so that each color of brush has its own purpose, or to choose a complete set in one radiant colour.

‘The colors were always part of my branding. I like to provide options, from stylish, cool gray to fun and sporty yellow!

“If you’re sisters and live in the same household, you can just get the exact same brushes in different colors, no one will ever wonder if you borrowed their brush.”

‘And especially, in those crazy pandemic times, as a makeup artist working on a busy runway or a photo shoot, you don’t have to worry about using the same brush on two different people.

‘You never have to guess again, you simply assign one color to one model.

‘Creating a high-quality product for the home was a natural progression for me.

‘My passion and precision have earned me praise in leading publications such as Harper’s Bazaar and Vanity Fair. All of this has cemented my position as one of the UK’s leading beauty experts.

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‘Nude artist’ Dina Broadhurst, 46, reveals the secret behind her ageless beauty

Sabir Ansary — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 07:07:31 +0000

By Kinta Walsh-cotton for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 03:01 EDT, March 14, 2024 | Updated: 03:01 EDT, March 14, 2024

Dina Broadhurst revealed one of the secrets behind her age-defying skin tone in an eye-opening post on Wednesday.

The ‘nude artist’, who looks ten years younger than her 46 years, shared a selfie on her Instagram Stories showing her receiving a cosmetic treatment.

The busty brunette gave her followers a pouty look and leaned back in a clinic chair as a nurse appeared to remove needles from Dina’s neck.

On one side of Dina’s neck, followers could see small wounds where several needles had already been removed.

It’s unclear exactly what cosmetic procedure Dina had, as she only wrote in the caption, “I can’t wait to see the results.”

Dina Broadhurst, 46, (pictured) revealed one of the secrets behind her age-defying skin tone in an eye-opening post on Wednesday

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Dina for comment.

It comes after the artist made sure all eyes were on her when she stripped off her tiny bikini and went completely topless on a Sydney beach on Tuesday.

She turned up the heat with her sensational figure as she carelessly bared her generous assets to the world.

The ‘nude artist’, who looks ten years younger than her 46 years, shared a selfie on her Instagram Stories showing her receiving a cosmetic treatment on her neck

The busty brunette leaned back on a towel and showed a huge amount of confidence as she settled into her favorite spot at the local haunt, accompanied by her dog.

Dina left nothing to the imagination as she flaunted her lithe body along the sand in a pair of tiny gray bikini bottoms and a barely-there white bikini top.

She promptly ripped the latter off, but not before taking a cooling dip in the water, undisturbed by the presence of other beachgoers.

It’s unclear exactly what cosmetic procedure Dina had, as she only wrote in the caption: “I can’t wait to see the results.”

Just hours earlier, Dina caused a storm in her own home when she shared a sexy selfie on her Instagram wearing nothing but sheer lingerie.

Dina showed off her long legs and slim body in a sheer bodysuit as she posed in the mirror.

The artist supported a local business while wearing lingerie by bra and underwear designer Nala.

The brunette beauty appeared makeup-free and showed off a fresh new blue manicure.

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I’m a makeup artist and my secret weapons in my bridal package include a $7 eyeliner

Jeffrey Bailey — Sat, 09 Mar 2024 18:19:15 +0000

A MAKE-UP artist has revealed the secret weapons of her bridal package.

She wouldn’t leave the house without these, which include a $7 eyeliner, a glow powder, and an oil control must-have.

TikTok user Carissa is a makeup artistCredit: tiktok/carissast.clair

She shared some of her professional secretsCredit: tiktok/carissast.clair

Carissa (@carissast.clair) said these are the products she always looked for.

“These are secret weapons in my bridal package,” she added after.

NARS EDA BRUSH

First up was a makeup brush used by professionals.

“This NARS EDA brush makes powder contouring so easy on the nose,” she said.

“You can get the whole nose with just one little swipe. You can also get the jawline,” she added.

LA GIRL LIQUID EYELINER

This was a comforting presence from Ulta, $6.99, in her makeup bag.

“Even as a makeup artist, there is nothing I fear more than applying wing eyeliner to a client,” she wrote.

“So if I can use something that makes it that easy, that simple, that quick, then I will.

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“This is LA Girl’s liquid eyeliner. I use this on a client, just do a wing and it goes super fast with a felt tip pen. It makes my life so much easier.”

And then she donates it to her client for their retouching kit.

I found dupes at Dollar Tree that smelled exactly like Tree Hut body scrubs – they had so much brand name makeup too

LA GIRL COLOR SETTINGS

Another permanent part of her kit are these color regulators from LA girl$10.

“LA Girl color matchings are affordable when you can mix them in your most popular shades,” she said.

These color adjusters were an important part of her equipmentCredit: tiktok/carissast.clair

PRIMING SPRAY SKINDINAVIA

She said this Skindinavia spray, $28, was her “secret weapon.”

“This is for my oily girls. This is great. I spray this before skin care and sometimes after,” she said.

“If you’re oily, this is all you need,” she added.

This powder gives great brightness, she saidCredit: tiktok/carissast.clair

JACLYN HILL LUMINOUS POWDER

This is a staple and she doesn’t want to look at anything else. It costs $9 from Morphe.

“I’ve been using this powder for years and I can’t do makeup without it,” she wrote.

“This is such a beautiful powder. It is so finely ground. It just gives the skin a beautiful luminosity and a radiant appearance,” she said.

This priming spray was perfect for ‘fat girls’Credit: tiktok/carissast.clair

MORPHE LUMINOUS SETTING SPRAY

The final feature of her kit was a setting spray, also from Morphe, $18.

“This Morphe luminous spray is luminous, it’s dewy, this is my finishing spray when I want to bring skin back to life,” she said.

Commenters were grateful for the tips.

“Yes, I need more shades,” one person said.

This felt-tip eyeliner was ideal for the cat eye lookCredit: tiktok/carissast.clair

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An introduction to Van Gogh in beautiful Provence: how to create your own masterpiece… where the artist painted some of his best works

Albert Elence — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 10:16:12 +0000

Vincent van Gogh may have been earless and borderline crazy during his time in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, but the Dutch master painted some of his greatest works here, in the bustling French tourist town near Avignon.

The productive period of his career included Irises, Sunflowers and The Starry Night.

So with a C in O level art I traveled to Saint Remy to create my own masterpiece.

My hand is guided by Aicha Bendafi, who patiently teaches tourists how to sketch the landscapes immortalized by Van Gogh in their own oily palettes of blue and gray.

We meet outside the gates of Saint Paul de Mausole, the monastery turned asylum and where Van Gogh admitted himself in 1889, a year after cutting off his left ear.

Inspirational: Jeremy Taylor traveled to Saint-Remy-de-Provence to follow in the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh. Above is Saint Paul de Mausole, the monastery turned asylum where the tormented artist admitted himself in 1889

Jeremy wonders if the landscape and lavender can inspire his “inner artist” in the same way as Van Gogh. Pictured is a lavender field in bloom at the Monastery of Saint Paul de Mausole

Tourists come here to see a reconstruction of the artist’s sparsely furnished first-floor room and to follow a walking trail that highlights the locations where Van Gogh set up his easel.

“He was fascinated by the quality of the light and the beauty of the landscape,” says Aicha.

‘Thanks to a serene atmosphere and the help of the nuns, he completed more than 100 drawings and 143 oil paintings in just one year.’

Aicha explains that to this day, Saint Paul de Mausole is still a psychiatric home for artists, and their work is sold in a nearby gallery.

“From the upstairs windows you can still see those same limestone hills, vineyards and olive groves that made Van Gogh reach for brush and canvas,” she adds.

There’s certainly an atmosphere about this place – far removed from busy Saint Remy, a short walk away.

Pictured is Van Gogh’s recreated room in Saint Paul de Mausole

Masterpiece: one of Van Gogh’s approximately fifteen paintings depicting olive groves. Jeremy tries to paint a similar scene during his visit

This chic town of cobbled streets, cafes and restaurants celebrates Van Gogh’s 444 days in Provence in many ways – sometimes boring – but I wonder if the landscape and lavender can inspire my inner artist in the same way.

Aicha has set up my easel in front of an olive grove, probably where Van Gogh painted The Olive Trees in June 1889.

His famous original is said to be worth around £60 million… so no pressure.

Van Gogh is said to have created fifteen paintings of olive groves, fascinated by the twisted, gnarled shapes that reflected his mental state at the time.

Saint Remy, pictured, is just a short walk from where Jeremy learns to ‘sketch the landscapes immortalized by Van Gogh’

In the photo: the fountain of Nostradamus in the medieval old town of Saint Remy

I start simple, with a dash of yellow sun, but the shape of the tree trunks is already driving me crazy. I’m having trouble capturing the texture with my crazy brush strokes.

Aicha tells me to split my piece into sections, sky, trees and earth, and soon I’m moving my brush around like a pro.

I find that varying the thickness of the paint gives an uneven, rough texture – Van Gogh often used paint straight from the tube, but for the leaves I decide to squeeze every shade of green onto my palette and start freestyling.

A small group of tourists have now come to watch. I give a thumbs up to help measure the distance between the tree trunks, before a small round of applause breaks out as I scribble my name in the bottom corner.

It’s nothing like the view, but I’m very tempted to offer my ‘Olive Grove Revisited’ to the highest bidder.

Jeremy describes Saint Remy (pictured) as a ‘chic town with cobbled streets, cafes and restaurants’

Jeremy is staying at Mas Van Gogh (photo), a restored farmhouse within a bike ride from the center of Saint Remy

That evening I retreat with my rolled-up work of art to Mas Van Gogh, a restored farmhouse within a bike ride from the center of St. Remy.

This luxurious, self-contained property has an outdoor swimming pool and space for eight guests, but I imagine the Dutch master would have preferred to paint alone in a quiet corner of the enormous garden.

‘Olive Grove Revisited’ now hangs in my downstairs toilet. One day, when I’m gone, it might turn up again in a thrift store. It will not be mistaken for a masterpiece.

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Artist, 83, who has achieved internet stardom for her love of all things green, reveals a glimpse into her home decorated with emerald, jade and lime furnishings

Sabir Ansary — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 03:35:08 +0000

By Ellen Coughlan for Mailonline

Published: 08:37 EST, March 6, 2024 | Updated: 09:34 EST, March 6, 2024

A woman who has dedicated her entire life to the color green has revealed an insight into her home – where everything shimmers in emerald, jade and lime.

Elizabeth Sweetheart, 83, from New York, joined Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle on This Morning on Wednesday to talk about her passion for colour.

Elizabeth, who has been dubbed the Green Lady of Brooklyn, explained how her three-decade obsession began with saying that the color only makes her feel “happy.”

The artist said: ‘I think it’s because I like colour. I’ve worn a lot of color in my life and green just seemed the happiest, it makes everyone happy and it’s easy to live with.

The OAP, who has more than 400,000 followers on Instagram, added that her life is now “naturally green” after years of living with the color.

Elizabeth Sweetheart, 83, from New York, who has dedicated her entire life to the color green, reveals this morning that her hair, nails, clothes and furniture are all green

In a video clip shot through her kitchen, Elizabeth had a green rug, chairs, mud, plant pots, utensils, cutting boards and pans.

The artist added: “I wake up in the morning and it is very cheerful and pleasant. I make my coffee in a green coffee maker, my grinder is green, it’s just a green world.’

About how her obsession with the color developed over 25 years and that it was not a ‘conscious choice’.’

Elizabeth, who’s been dubbed The Green Lady of Brooklyn, explained how her three-decade obsession began saying the color only makes her feel “happy”

The OAP, who has more than 400,000 followers on Instagram, added that her life is now “naturally green” after years of living with the color

About how her obsession with the color developed over 25 years and that it was not a ‘conscious choice’

Elizabeth said: ‘It just happened over the course of 25 years. I don’t think even my partner knew my life was really green until it was, it just crept up.’

She claimed that her partner Robert enjoys it because her love of green allows her to meet interesting people.

She said: ‘People are amazing, when they see me they smile, they are happy and they love taking pictures, they take selfies and we hug each other, it’s very positive.’

Speaking about her new internet stardom, she said ‘it’s all very positive’, but ‘it hasn’t really affected her life’.

Elizabeth revealed that her mother is from Wales and that she studied medicine in London, where she met her father and eventually moved to Nova Scotia.

Born Elizabeth Eaton in Nova Scotia, she was raised by her grandparents in a cabin near the Bay of Fundy, where her grandmother taught her to paint and make clothes.

In 1964, she hitchhiked to New York City to establish herself as an artist and found work making prints in the clothing industry.

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