Dreamy Prokofiev

Hello FifiFurry lovers, it's Millou here! Bella and I had the busiest of weeks, filming videos and planning new costumes for the winter season. Of course I was content to watch Bella run variations for her repertoire and be a good pup by keeping her company although I was able to take a peak in this month's Vogue in between fouettés and adagios.

We delved into the work and music of Sergei Prokofiev, a Russian composer. Have you ever heard of him? He created some of the most dreamy and audibly intricate compositions for ballets such as Romeo & Juliet and Cinderella. 

Prima Ballerina Assoluta, Margot Fonteyn was pure enchantment in the role of Cinderella which is still produced by ballet houses the world over. 

I like to imagine myself as Cinderella with a dainty glass slipper -  a pup can dream can't she! Do you have a favourite composer? Do share.

Bisses,

Millou

It's May, Let's Play

It's seems that it's been quite awhile since we've been away. From moments of upside down to creating something new, Bella has found herself busy donning tutu's and satiny shoes - and me? I've been here, her ever faithful, sweet furry love - cuddling for snuggles and bringing laughter to her days.

After a whirlwind of travel, we're back! With lots of new adventures to share and enchanting things to see. Bella dances everyday now and that means I have some time to spend with new furry friends alike. She'll still be curating her classical loves and adventures for you to see but for now . . . it's May, let's play and delight in all the good that's mean to be.

Moments Of Upside Down

Image via Dance.net

There are moments of feeling upside down. I suppose everyone has them  - a pregnant pause behind the cusp of topsy-turvy. It's like a dance - pushing, pulling, stillness, movement, gestures for the sake of a bigger picture of beauty.

I've always loved the ballet. To me it is a moving world of make belief but more profoundly a powerfully expressive dedication to one's craft and art. Dancers are intrinsically athletes - the movement of their body is both sport and art. I think that's beautiful - that one would train to create a work of beauty.

There's something humbling about giving yourself over to your art so wholeheartedly that it becomes a personal devotion.  It's a kind of love story.

Moments of light and dark, ease and challenges, questions that bring you deeper into you art, walls that seem impossible to crumble.

And sometimes, when you least expect it there is immeasurable grace, a guiding hand that leads you into the beauty you aspired to create, a favour that turns the world right when it was before upside down.

Portrait By Juan Martinez

A few months ago I was invited to sit as portrait model for a summer workshop at the Academy Of Realist Art. ARA is one of the few ateliers worldwide dedicated to teaching Old Master Drawing and Painting technique, preserving the academic methodologies used by masters such as Bouguereau, Ingres and Rubens. 

The thing I like most about modelling for portrait studies is seeing myself through the eyes of each individual artist. No two portraits are ever the same. 

This portrait of me was painted by ARA instructor Juan Martinez. Juan has established himself as a prominent portrait and allegorical painter in the field and he has also received various awards from the Art Renewal Centre and The Portrait Society Of America for his work.

His portrayal captures my more pensive and introspective side while still staying true to my spirit and his style. You can learn more about Juan and his work on his website here.

One Step To Beautiful

Image Source Unknown

Last night I realized that it's been a week of animal cuteness here on the blog and on my instagram feed.  Purely coincidental. On Monday it was puppy love, last Friday it was bunny love and today it's swan love. I'm not sure of the image credit for the photo above but it touches my heart. A little swan begins so gently and unassumingly - perhaps unaware of the beautiful bird it will one day become. . .

This image made me think about dreams and tomorrows and the steps we take to make our tomorrows our todays. Each one brings us closer to beautiful, closer to the dream we must inhabit as our own, closer to living in truth and purpose.

Every day is a chance to begin anew yet continue what we started the day before. It's also a moment of possibility, filled with choice - that is the choice to pick up where we left off, give up or begin again.

When I began my training in Fine Art I was both awed and overwhelmed by the awesomeness of works created by artists before me and my contemporaries. I wondered how they did what they did and if I would ever do the same one day - hopefully in this lifetime I thought back then.

But as I reached passed my fear I saw beyond the 'illusion' and into the truth of the matter. All artists who are truly dedicated to their craft commit themselves to one step to beautiful as I like to call it. That is steady, daily action in their training, technical mastery or competition of a body of work. Awesomeness happens everyday when we simply show up and do the work - one phrase at a time, one brushstroke after another until one day, we, like the little swan, emerge into something beautiful. Giving to others something of ourselves that will grace them with love.

Bella's Daybook: In The Atelier

My motivation for studying art was purely serendipitous or perhaps practical, depending on whom you may ask. I'd found myself in the midst of a major life transition with the resounding knowing in my heart that I wanted to truly follow it and share beauty with others. The serendipity began when all manner of coincidences, signs and wonders aligned themselves to guide me to make the leap, and so I did. From a hot climate to blurry winter, from making illustrations in my tiny home, corner office to working in an atelier. I was determined to learn the techniques of the old masters such as Bouguereau and my experiences in the atelier shaped my work ethic as an artist. In older days, being an artist was every bit esteemed as being a steward of science and truthfully mastering old master drawing and painting technique is a science in and of itself. People are suprised when I tell them that we study anatomy, perspective and other marvels such as the Golden Rule, all in an effort to create a work of art that is aesthetically pleasing and in adherence to classical ideals.

We begin our training with making copies of Bargue Plates (from the flat). These exercises begin a rigorous programme of developing the eye and an understanding of light, form and shadow.

This is followed by exercises in working from the round, in a more challenging medium - vine charcoal as opposed to graphite. At this stage we make copies after plaster casts and once again the objective is to refine the eye and expand the artists repertoire of measurement techniques. Besides working through exercises in Bargue copies and cast drawing, students also work from the live model. Here's one of my earlier drawings done in conte:

After drawing technique is established, we begin painting using a limited colour palette. The objective here is to establish a thorough understanding of colour and value in paint, in addition to the challenges of working with the paint medium. I'm currently working on the a copy of the cast below and in the upcoming weeks I'll be sharing updates about its process and progress:

Introducing Bella

My name is Bella and welcome to my new, bright blog Bella & Millou. Believe it or not in a time not too long ago, I was a corporate professional who wore uncomfortable shoes to work. Of course most beautiful shoes are not necessarily practical much less comfortable but I think they're made even more uncomfortable by the fact that you're wearing them somewhere you really don't want to be.

Well, when my feet and heart had had enough, I solemnly left a world I was not called to for my truth and began to pursue my passion for classical art.  It was challenging yet had an air of comfort but I'm sure you also know that sometimes man plans and God laughs.

In divine humour I was brought gently and squarely into my truest and dearest expression - music and here's where this blog began. You see, beauty moves me but not just beauty as we would call it today but beauty from days gone by. Beauty that was an expected component of art produced in the 17th-19th centuries. In my mind, the refinement and ideals of these eras are incomparable and this isn't to say that I don't find beauty in the art of our contemporary world, just that I feel more delighted to share what some might call history in a new, fresh contemporary way. Besides, I spend the greater part of my days immersed in such a world.

Whether it's the genius of Vermeer's use of colour, Beethoven's symphonies, the charm and  elegance of Swan Lake or the drama of Tosca, I was inspired to share it all and my journey as one who is part of the re-emergence of classical art in popular culture on this blog.

Thus, there will be music and dance and paintings, puppy mischief and fashion explorations because somehow they all come together in what is the landscape of my world and inspiration.

I'm so happy to have you come along.