This is a post from two years ago that I entered for a self portrait challenge on the topic red. We were asked to take a pic of ourselves wearing red but I thought I would share a pic of someone else in red instead.

Nativity by Carl Bloch.

Here’s a painting that will debunk the usual sterotypes of women who wear the colour red. In nearly every painting that I have seen of Mary, she is either wearing a white dress or painted wearing a red robe. Interestingly enough red was not only sought after by painters throughout history, it was also a colour worn by those of high status. Purple was worn by those of high status in antiquity too but as interesting as that is, purple was not the colour used to depict this royal family, but red. While we usually associate white with purity and red with sin, red was the classical representation used in many religious paintings to symbolise faith, fulfillment and love. In this painting by Carl Bloch, I love the way Joseph tilts his head to the side (evident of a father’s love and one that I have seen in many fathers when proudly showing off their newborns!). I also love how his hands shield the glow of his lantern from the eyes of his newborn. The glow that surrounds the baby Jesus however does not seem to come from the lantern but from the child Himself. In fact this light is so bright that it not only surrounds the holy child, it envelopes all in the scene too even if you cannot see them all. But the star of this scene is definitely Mary. In this painting she is the only person not looking at the child; she is looking at us looking at this scene. If I hadn’t known what it’s like to go through labour, give birth and raise children, I would know that look to be one of exhaustion (she can’t wait for all those men to go home so she can take a nap). But in that look is also one of womanhood and of nobility because while the child will grow to be the Saviour of the world, Carl has painted us woman; saviour of human souls.

I’m a late comer to looking at and appreciating fine art. Ten years ago when we homeschooled our children art appreciation was a topic I delved into with them which then became a personal love of mine. My work as a photographer is inspired by art and art history.

I was pretty excited when i was commissioned to shoot decor products. While I specialise in fashion and lifestyle portrait photography I also have a passion for shooting things. Maybe you call it still-life, but either way, I love to shoot things. The last couple days have been busy but it’s a good thing I have friends with stylish homes. Although it has made me covet more than I should.

A slow return to minimalist sensibilities. Five different pant silhouettes one of which is the classic high-waisted wide-leg pants. For the woman who also likes softer fabrics on her body.

Angelina Jolie photographed by Mario Testino. A modern day Vermeer over-the-shoulder pose minus the pearl earring. Mario Testino’s style is glamorous and polished. He came on to the scene during a time when grunge was in. He did not change his style to match the then current trend but kept to his own. And I’m glad he did.

Image by Banana Republic. One of few images I’ve seen where wearing matching colours look great. The trick is to mix it up. (Now if only family portraiture could take a few clues from this example and not have everyone dressed in the same shirt of the same colour.) Banana Republic is also an example of great advertising that like to show models (in this case real life artists) of different backgrounds and colour. It helps to be beautiful too I guess.

J.Crew has been voted “World’s Best Store” by fashionista.com. Interestingly enough J.Crew just recently opened stores in countries outside the US. I always wondered about the models they used for their campaigns and how that affected sales; models of various nationalities (rather than the usual white model with blonde hair) especially so with their male models; everyday looking men sporting beards and some much older more approachable looking models. Maybe J.Crew knows something about the mature man—either they need styling or they’re the ones with money to spend.