From the sketchbook

Last week I sketched Suzanne Valadon. She's an interesting artist. She started as an artist model for such notables as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Pierre Puvis de Chavannes among others. But she was also observant. She paid attention to how they worked and she started drawing and painting herself.

Her work is easily recognizable by her bold lines. She painted still life, portraits, floral art, and landscapes that are noted for their strong composition and vibrant colors. She was, however, best known for her candid female nudes. A perfectionist, she worked on some of her oil paintings for up to thirteen years, before showing them.