Women Painting Women
A look at some of my favorite female painters on International Women's Day
Since it is International Women's Day, I wanted to share some of my favorite artists who paint women. I return to their work for a multitude of reasons, as you’ll see. Naturally, I am hoping to convert you to their fan clubs as well.
I love the juicy quality of her work. She's well known for her self-portraits and depictions of motherhood. I return to look at her work often, enlarging the imagery so I can glimpse at the gorgeous, syrupy consistency of her paint. Everything from the composition to the color choices makes her paintings look effortless and rich. This line from the Victoria Miro Gallery says it so well.
"Whether in images a few inches square or ten feet high, fluidity combined with a pragmatic approach to representation seduces and disarms."
Ines is from France, and I found her several years ago. I have watched her work change and morph while she stays true to her subject matter. I think when you lock into a genre, you have to find ways to keep it interesting for yourself. She has kept it interesting to us as well. On a side note, she has managed her career like the ultimate French cool "it" girl.
I have followed Tina since my fashion illustration days and was very happy to see her work being shown in a fine art setting when I spotted her familiar style at Art Paris. She composes and plays with materials in such exciting ways. Her website is an old-school breath of fresh air, which ups her talent and hip factor.
Jessica is a favorite illustrator on my list, and to me, a good fashion illustrator approaches their work with a completely effortless feeling. I think this results from the sheer volume of work they produce. Jessica's work is spontaneous and chunky, which I love. She also has a distinct sense of color. You’ll love the delightful Instagram called Tits and Toes, where she concentrates on quick contour figure drawings.
I recently met Jennifer at a dinner party at a friend's house. It's always fabulous to meet someone whose art you know of and admire. While she doesn't just paint women, she's another artist whose ability to mold and play with paint is so fascinating to me. Her works almost feel like a meal, rich and nourishing.
Sometimes, I wish I could approach shapes the way America does. Her work feels so solid and grounded. Since I have a thing for composition, I am always looking at how she fills the canvas. With the way she handles form, it's no surprise her work translates so well to sculpture.
I have followed her for some time, and the beauty of that, again, is watching an artist evolve. That's not the right turn of phrase because it is not like her work hadn't evolved when I first found her. I have been wonderfully surprised by the world she has created for her art.
I say "world" because she seems to capture a type of romance that I am drawn to myself. She portrays women with a specific type of subtly, which is incredibly hard to balance when work is created at this scale. Her studio shots are portrayed perfectly. She makes her paintings in the smaller space of her home in Spain, and it shows us that small space doesn't always mean small art. Her daughters' appearance in her art "in situ" shots are simply perfection. I found this ISSUU publication of her recent work if you want to soak up more. So gorgeous.
Have we talked about her yet? She is a-m-a-z-i-n-g, deep, thoughtful, and I so enjoy listening to her discuss her art. She doesn't focus solely on the female form. Still, she certainly is worthy of this women's painting women list since she so accurately portrays figures and the environments that they inhabit, which are very often a female world. Here is a great video of her discussing her work.
I was fortunate enough to see this work at the Whitney Museum. It's so incredible in person.
That's it for this week. I do hope you enjoyed it. Is that enough for you to click on? Remember, I love a Rabbit Hole!
Until next time, Monica
Thank you Monica for sharing this list of female artists, I had never heard about them until now 🙏