Marie

I am very happy to announce that Stampington's special edition Marie is currently on sale!

As I mentioned in my post of January 18, my collage entitled "In the Secret Dessert Garden-Thirty-ninth in an Imaginary Series from the Untold Secrets of Marie Antoinette" was selected for publication! When they contacted me to tell me that my work had been accepted, they asked me to write something about my inspiration for the piece. This is what I sent them:

Initially, I was inspired to create this collage after having seen the Sofia Coppola movie “Marie Antoinette” and read the book by Antonia Fraser on which the movie was based. In addition, I was fortunate enough to see the Marie Antoinette exhibit at the Grand Palais in Paris in April 2008. But I was also inspired by visits to Ladurée and Pierre Hermé, two of the most famous patisseries in Paris and the sweetest tea salon across from the Luxembourg Gardens called Thé Cool. In these places, I found desserts almost too beautiful to eat and teas beyond what I could have ever imagined. In addition, I began to think about what we knew of the life of the last queen of France. I also began to ponder what we may not have known and my imagination began to run wild! We know that she loved her gardens and she loved her desserts. What if she had commissioned the royal horticulturist to develop a hybrid of flower whose fruit were desserts? Therefore, I named my collage, “In the Dessert Garden, Thirty-Ninth in an Imaginary Series from The Untold Secrets of Marie Antoinette.”

Here are some pictures:








I want to thank my husband Victor for his constant encouragement and for insisting that we visit the show at the Grand Palais and to Stampington for publishing my work!

Gratefully,

Betty