What an incredibly beautiful Star card! Today, it serves as a very on-point reminder that the Universe truly has your back. It embodies the renewal of faith, hope, and optimism, three things which …

Part of The James Library’s exhibition “In Noticing,” this captivating mixed-media creation was made using gold candy wrappers and oil paints on canvas. Artist Elizabeth Noble, who lives outside Boston and frequently visits family in Plymouth, often incorporates found scraps of paper and other objects into her works.

This can be an exciting time for you, and likely one of the most influential New Moons you will have at your disposal for several months. The clock is most definitely ticking and your …

One of the leading portrait painters in America, by the time she was 30, is the featured artist for April, in my Woman Artist Series -- CECILIA BEAUX Self Portrait, 1894, oil, 25x20 Here are 10 things to know about Cecilia Beaux, along with 10 examples of her work and a few images of Cecilia, too: 1. Born in Philadelphia in 1855, Cecilia Beaux was raised by her grandmother and aunts, after her mother's early death, only 12 days after her birth. She was the youngest daughter of Jean Adolphe Beaux, a silk manufacturer, originally from Provence, France, and teacher Cecilia Kent Leavitt. Her mother's sudden death hit her father so hard that he left Cecilia and her 3-year old sister with their grandmother and returned to France for two years. Encouraged to pursue her interest in art, she took her first art lessons at the age of 16. She studied with several local painters and later went to the school run by Dutch painter Frances Van der Wielen, for two years. She participated in her first group exhibitions during the late 1870's. Beaux's paintings won awards and enthusiastic reviews from the start. A Little Girl (Fanny Travis Cochran), 1887, oil, 36 x 29 2. Early in her art career, Cecilia earned money by painting china, before turning to portraiture, often using family members and friends as her subject matter. In these paintings, she explored the individual's character, as well as the complexities of family relationships. She also attended portrait classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts -- but, decided against the painter, Thomas Eakins, as a teacher. Instead, she studied privately with William Sartain, whose approach she preferred over Eakins'. Sartain helped her become proficient in painting the figure from life. Cecilia Beaux Harold and Mildred Colton, 1887, oil, 55x41 3. "The Last Days of Infancy", painted in 1885, was the painting that effectively launched her artistic career. This double portrait, picturing her sister, Etta, and her nephew, Henry Drinker, goes far beyond portraiture. It makes a universal statement about a particular stage of childhood. Cecilia considered the arrangement of four hands at the center of the composition to be the painting's symbolic crux. Les Derniers Jours d'Enfance (The Last Days of Infancy), 1885, oil, 46x54 Beaux's painting was inspired by Whistler, and won the Mary Smith Prize at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. It was also accepted for the Paris Salon in 1887 -- and sealed her reputation as an artist of international standing. 4. In 1888, Cecilia traveled to Paris to study, becoming acquainted with the Impressionist movement while there. She first submitted work to the Paris Salon in 1883, and then five years later, she began a self-financed 2-year stay in the City of Light (1888-90). She had a successful showing at the 1889 Salon. It was in Paris that she made a firm decision to become a portraitist. In a letter to her Uncle Will, she wrote, "People seem to interest me more than anything in the world, and that's the reason for my success". Lady Darwin (Maud DuPuy), 1889, pastel, 19x13 5. Beaux returned to the United States in 1891, settling in New York. She soon became a much sought-after portraitist, whose sitters included many prominent politicians, writers, and artists -- including George Clemenceau, Teddy Roosevelt, his wife Edith, and his daughter. In 1892, Beaux was invited to teach at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts -- a rare honor for a woman. She traveled widely, lectured often, and published her autobiography in 1930. Man with the Cat, Portrait of Henry Sturgis Drinker (one of her best-known works.) 6. Cecilia Beaux combined new ideas and techniques learned from the Impressionists in Paris, with her own style of portraiture. Beaux's expressive brushwork, rich palette, effective use of relaxed poses for her sitters, caused her work to be compared frequently with the portraits of John Singer Sargent. Her fusion of the French style with her own distinctively American taste became her signature style. Sita and Sarita, 1893, oil, 37x25 7. Three of her most outstanding works are The Dreamer, 1984, Dorothea & Francesca, 1898, and Sita & Sarita, 1893. The Dreamer is a portrait of her friend, Caroline Kilby Smith. Generally, her sitters are in unconventional poses -- as in this painting. The sitter, Caroline, looks absentmindedly at the viewer. A critic described this painting as an "odd work of unsimple simplicity". The Dreamer, 1893, oil, 33x25 One of her loveliest portraits, Dorothea & Francesca, is not only inventive in its composition, but also illustrates Beaux's skillful handling of pale colors. Dorothea & Francesca, 1898, oil 8. Cecilia Beaux was a strong-willed, independent woman her whole life. She never married, choosing instead to focus on her art. Instead of adopting the conventional roles of wife and mother, the artist focused on developing a career, and went on to become one of the leading portraitists of the day. 9. Another side of Beaux's art is shown in the painting, After the Meeting, 1914. Here, the artist's friend, Dorothy Gilder, gestures animatedly -- her white gloved hands making a stark contrast against the dark wall and the floral-patterned chair. This painting has the lively, intimate quality of a candid photograph that catches the subject in mid-action. 10. Beaux's art received widespread recognition during her lifetime. In 1924, the Uffizi in Florence, Italy, asked her to submit a self-portrait -- an honor bestowed on only three other Americans. Cecilia Beaux died in Gloucester, Mass, at the venerable age of 87 -- after a nearly 40-year career. Mother and Daughter, 1898, oil, 83x44

19cm x 28cm / watercolor on paper / 2016 *commissioned*

The 16th annual Los Angeles Art Show took place in the city's Convention Center this past Thursday, January 19th through Sunday, January 23rd. I attended with my friend and fellow art-lover/collector Betsy Wills, who flew out from Nashville for the event and who is the author of an enjoyable art blog named Artstormer. The show, spread out on the floor of the center's main hall, featured over 100 galleries from around the globe with artworks of the Modern, Old Masters, Impressionist and Contemporary genres. Paintings, sculpture, mixed media, photography, etchings, lithography, LED art, video art and installations were among the mediums. While there were some wonderful contemporary art galleries represented, there were also some equally bad ones. I was sad to see that many prominent contemporary art galleries were not there such as the Gagosian and Pace galleries. However, a few of my personal favorites like the George Billis Galleries , Salt Fine Art, Rebecca Hossack Gallery and the Sue Greenwood Fine Art Gallery were present. For lovers of modern and contemporary art, Art Basel Miami is a better bet, but this show, with its varied selection may appeal to a wider audience. 20th century favorites like Picasso, Warhol, Lichtenstein, Miro, Robert Indiana, Sam Francis and Wayne Thiebaud, amongst others, were represented at the show. There were a few Renoirs, a Norman Rockwell, a Hopper and some Chagalls. Western, Dutch, American Indian, Aboriginal and German Expressionism were merely a few of the varied styles. And classic photos by Henri Cartier- Bresson, Ansel Adams, Elliott Erwitt and other prominent photographers' works were available. above: this Wayne Theibaud painting had a price tag of $385,000 USD Overall, I was disappointed with the show - but that's not to say there weren't several commendable highlights. I am going to share with you some work by my favorite individual contemporary artists from the 2011 Los Angeles Art Show in a two part series -- the first today and the second, tomorrow. Cecilia Paredes: Elizabeth Patterson: Jason Shawn Alexander: David Datuna: Eric Zener: Shao Kun and Ruggero: Margo Selki: Barbara Fishman: Heiner Meyer: Song Ling: John Gibson: Nick Veasey: Rusty Scruby: Chris Bracey: An installation by John Baldessari (below) featured individually framed letters of the alphabet, each embossed and painted, accompanied by an icon whose name begins with that letter: There was also a small selection (one or two) of art pieces by the following popular contemporary artists; Damien Hirst, Alex Katz, Yoshitomo Nara and Takashi Murakami. Takashi Murakami: Yoshitomo Nara: all photos taken by laura sweet of If It's Hip, It's Here Links to all the participating galleries Be sure to come back tomorrow and see more work from other talented artists who participated in the 2011 Los Angeles Art Show in Part II.

It is Saturday, and for some reason, many of you have too much time on your hands. This could very well be due to severely inclement weather if you are in the Northern Hemisphere. So, w…

So expertly does Cecilia Paredes camouflage herself against vividly patterned backdrops, the only thing that immediately gives her away is her shock of dark hair. Her painstaking process of painting her own body to match the walls nearly succeeds in making her disappear altogether. Every flower ...

The Print This art print displays sharp, vivid images with a high degree of color accuracy. A member of the versatile family of art prints, this high-quality reproduction represents the best of both worlds: quality and affordability. Art prints are created using a digital or offset lithography press. Paper Type: Art Print Finished Size: 12" x 18" Arrives by Sat, May 25 Product ID: 16280835

“St. Cecily (Cecilia)” Ezio Anichini Ezio Anichini is one of our all-time favorite artists. Working mainly in the Art Nouveau style (or Stile Liberty) of the early 20th Century, he was the master of dreamy religious portraits. Famous for his Litany of Loreto, less known are his extensive magazine covers he did for arts magazines in Italy, where he was often able to incorporate his Catholic faith into his assignments and promote Catholicism from the newsstands. In this one from 1907, Arts and Labor: Music and Musicians Illustrated Monthly Magazine, he has painted the primary Catholic Saint of music, St. Cecelia, and placed her in the hands of her angel, who is her muse, bringing her Heavenly inspiration. Muse, music, right? The word music (musica in Italian) comes from the Greek word mousike, which means "art of the Muses." There is something timeless and beautiful in Anichini's work, something we always find fresh and enjoyable. ** IMPORTANT ** THE IMAGE IS SMALLER THAN THE PAPER! There is a blank border all around the image of about .5" for 5x7, 1.3" for 8.5x11, 1.6" for 11x14, and 1.75" for 13x17". All Approx! The white space gives the framed picture a finished look without using a mat. *POSTER SIZES ARE PRINTED WITH SMALL BORDER* This is to preserve the dimensions of the original artwork. – Acid-free paper – Archival pigments, rated to last for generations. – Cardboard backer – Above story of the art – Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag. Thanks for your interest! Sue & John “In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art.” ~ St. Pope John Paul II Original image is out-of-copyright. Descriptive text and image alterations (hence the whole new image) © by Sue Kouma Johnson

Webber was born in a forest town of only 1,500 people and spent much of her childhood in fields catching orange salamanders. She was a shy, socially awkward child who enjoyed reading and spent hours searching for small fairy creatures in abandoned maple sugar huts and dilapidated stonewalls.

Canadian artist Ceceilia Webber spends up to a year editing photographs of humans together on her computer to create extraordinary collages.