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

The Last Queen of France Lives On...

Thank you to Lauren of Marie Antoinette's Gossip Guide to the 18th Century
for the use of the image.

One of my favorite books last year was "The Scented Palace" by Elisabeth de Feydeau about the history of Marie Antoinette's perfumer, Jean-Louis Fargeon.  He created a special perfume for her based on tuberose, which became one of her favorite scents.  I was also very interested to learn that a French perfumery called Le Labo had also created a scent based on tuberose specifically for Kirsten Dunst when she portrayed Marie Antoinette.  Click here for a beautifully written review of Tubereuse 40 from the Scented Salamander and here to explore the other scents created by Le Labo.

And in another portrayal of the famous queen a bit closer to home, I have created a collage, called "In the Dessert Garden (Thirty-Ninth in an Imaginary Series from The Untold Secrets of Marie Antoinette)."  It will be published in April in a special edition inspired by Marie Antoinette.  I have just discovered that you can order advance copies (postage paid) by clicking here.  The special pre-order offer expires on February 25, 2009.  Stampington describes the publication this way:  

"Marie Antoinette is a historical icon whose decadent and beautiful way of life has inspired generations of artists.  The dresses...the crowns...the cakes...and more...are all what cause us to marvel at how one woman could lead the charge to live in the moment and with great attention to detail.  Driven by their fascination with Marie Antoinette, both through historical accounts and glamorized Hollywood perceptions two different artistic cohorts embarked on extraordinary collaborative book projects that were recently submitted to Stampington & Company.  Too large of a collaborative effort for just one article and far too beautiful to keep to ourselves, these stunning projects will be highlighted in a brand new special publication, entitled Marie."

I am grateful that my collage was accepted into this project and I will post pictures of the collage when it is published in April!