Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Interview with Kathleen Marie Couture

Dear Friends, I thought you might enjoy this... A few weeks ago I had the lovely opportunity to be a featured artist
at Art Alive Astoria. ( in Astoria Queens, NYC).

I had a lovely lovely time..

Here's a link to one of the interviews I granted that evening..
k a t h l e e n m a r i e !

Sublime Fanciness Prevails!
xoxx
Kathleen Marie

Monday, October 3, 2011

Couture Fashion Portraits.. Second Set Available!

Dear Friends... The Second and final set of the "Beautiful and Damned Collection is available now.. For a limited time, purchase 4 prints and get the 5th print free!! CLICK HERE FOR PRINTS!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

18th Century Wig : La Du Barry!

Dear Friends,
Announcing a new wig style, just in time for Halloween!! 'La Du Barry', named for the King's Favourite Mistress.... Featuring a sky high pompadour, 3 side rolled curls, and a long feminine barrel curled back. Available in black, white/ivory, and auburn. Powdered or unpowdered!
Available HERE! Thee black modelle shown is in stock now! Hurry before someone else snaches it up! ( I can add powder to it if you wish for an additional fee). Vive Le Reine!

Kathleen Marie

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Couture Portraiture: New Fashion Art Prints available...

Dear Friends, Available now! I have just released the first set of prints made from my photographic endeavours! All the Aristocratic Apocalypse you can handle!
Click HERE to see them! For a limited time only, buy 4 and get the 5th free.. Ciao For Now, KM

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Kathleen Marie Couture Featured in Gothic Beauty Magazine #34!

Dear Friends,

I was recently interviewed by Gothic Beauty magazine...It is now available for
pre-order here... GOTHIC BEAUTY.
In the interview I discuss my personal creative process, who my 'muses' are,
what it's like to work with international model and actress Aprella, alternative fashion and style 'before' Tim Burton, and who I am dying to work with in the future..

Plus there should be a beautiful pictorial editorial!!

Fleurishes,

Kathleen

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Fragonard at the Frick Collection!

Dear Friends,

I had the the lovely opportunity to visit the Frick museum last week for their
"Summer Night" event. Despite the fact that it was a sweltering 100 degrees
in NYC, I ventured into to Manhattan this special event.

From 6-9, the museum was open after hours, included dance performances, lectures, and plein air ( almost, in the fountain garden atrium) sketching!. Their new installation of Turkish inspired objets d'arte from
the court of Marie Antoinette was also a major factor of my sojurn down to all the delightfulness.

The Frick collection is housed in Mr Frick's NYC mansion , on east 70th and Madison. Located right on Central park, It was the great industrialist Henry Clay Frick's Manhattan maison.
As with many museums, photography, even without a flash, is strictly prohibited.
( which I learned quickly!)

Th highlight of the entire event, to my surprise, was not the "Turkish Tastes in the Court of Marie Antoinette" collection ( which was rather small, and consisted of painted armoire? doors belonging to Louis the xvi's brother Comte d' Artois,
and brass/ gold camel statues which once flanked Marie Antoinette's fireplace at Fountainbleu.

The highlight , beyond measure! was 4 things.

1- The Fragonard Room.


Ladies and Gents, really? Really? Really!!

Sublimely beautiful. BEAUTIFUL. Rococo grandeur at it's Absolute Best.
There are 4-6 HUGE oil painted panels, painted for Louis the vx's mistress Madame
Du Barry.
Enormous I say! One panel must have been 9 feet x 5 feet.
These panels cover the entire walls of this room.

I honestly wondered if these were original Fragonards'. I expected his work to be
smaller in scale, and in pastel...? I researched later, and yes, Friends...
They are orginal. Mr. Frick acquired these shortly before he died.
What a Gentleman, With What Taste!!

2- The Boucher Room




Painted a lovely tint of pale grayish blue-green, this room is also
resplendant in Rococo Majesty. Next time I go, I am bringing my Pantone colour
swatch book to match the walls. It's such an interesting wall colour choice.
Mrs. Frick originally had the Boucher panels in her 2nd floor sitting room. What a lucky lady!

3-
The dining room the with HUGE Gainsborough portraits.




Again, these portraits must be 9 feet tall at least.
They are unbelievably stunning.
My favourite was: The Honorable Frances Duncombe (blue dress)
( ** please note, on the Frick website, the honorable Frances Dracombe gainsborough
portrait is in the oval room. The second portrait, "Grace Dalrymple Elliott", is
not so large, but one of my personal favourites. She resides currently in the dining room)

4- An unexpected highlight.. The Rembrandt Self Portrait.



It is about 3.5 feet by 4.5 feet ( nice large scale!)
Although I have studied Rembrandt in several Art History classes, his work never
'called' to me. And probably because I was a-memorizing slides, b-looking at reproductions of his paintings in text books.

GO SEE THE REAL THING, Kids.
Your Art History teacher is not kidding when they say he was a MASTER.
Rembrandt's eyes had a depth of "life" I have NEVER seen in a painting.
( let alone rare in real life.. they were twinkling!)
His colours are extraordinairly profound. Yes, profound.
I read about a lost medium of the old masters Maroger tried his whole life to find
(hence "Maroger" medium). Looking at an original Rembrandt, I completely understand why.
Gorgeous and Substantial in an Ethereal Manner.

Most likely I will join the Frick Collective and become a Member, or Fellow...!
It is such a magical, beautiful place. I am for SURE going back when I have a bit more time.
I am so grateful I live close to the wealth of true art and culture that reside in NYC.

Please visit The Frick Collection for more information
regarding the paintings and history of a great man and his sublime art collection!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Fascinators! New Vintage Style Cocktail Hats with Veiling. Available NOW!


The lovely purple and burgundy "Le Ange Violet" Fascinator.



Chartreuse Cashmere and Plaid Fascinator with Corset Detail,
"Charlotte Sometimes".

Dear Friends,


In a creative vacation, I indulged in the art of making some vintage style
fascinators! I thought it would be a nice way to use some small pieces of some
of the gorgeous textile remnants I have accumulated over the years...

All of these little cocktail hats have the birdcage or russian veiling.
Some veiling is vintage where noted. ALL of these little perched pretties are
ONE OF A KIND! Hurry and grab 'em, they are unique in all the world!



'La Parisienne' Black tulle, metallic heavy lame, and petticoats!!

Of course I should mention the lovely dress pictured above also..
"La Parisienne" is a 1950's style black lame ( this is the vintage heavy quality, not the flimsy Halloween variety!!) and tulle gown.
It has a fully boned bodice, built in net petticoat and is hemmed for horsehair.
The tulle overskirt is removeable, hence more variations on a theme.
Betsey Johnson would LOVE this dress!
'La Parisienne' is one of a kind. please visit HERE for further information,
pricing and sizing.