Continuing the Art of Play
January 31, 2024

Artist: Helen Rae


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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87618016665



Helen Rae (1938–2021) was an American outsider artist. Rae used fashion magazines as the inspiration and starting point for her colored-pencil drawings. A self-taught artist, Rae was deaf and non-verbal. She lived in Claremont California all of her life, and received recognition for her work late in life. Rae held her first solo exhibition in 2016, at age 76.

Her work is included in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Wikipedia


Warm-up + Project

Please select a photo or an image from a magazine to use as a starting point for your project. I have included a few high fashion photos below that you are welcome to use if you wish.

Allow for your individual style to come through as you create your drawing.

Rae's images are both beautiful and haunting in a naive and innocent approach, yet also sophisticated in execution and composition.

Materials:

  • colored pencils

  • markers

  • paint pens

This should be a fun project!



High Fashion Photo Inspiration



(L) Photographed by Steven Meisel, Vogue, May 2015 (R) Illustration by Helen Rae

L) Photographed by Steven Meisel, Vogue, May 2015 (R) Illustration by Helen Rae

(L) Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, February 2013 (R) Illustration by Helen Rae

(L) Photographed by Willy Vanderperre, Vogue, March 2016 (R) Illustration by Helen Rae

(L) Photographed by Willy Vanderperre, Vogue, March 2016 (R) Illustration by Helen Rae

(L) Photographed by Willy Vanderperre, Vogue, March 2016 (R) Illustration by Helen Rae


Untitled (August 28 2014)
colored pencil/graphite on paper
24" x 18"

Untitled (May 18 2016)
colored pencil/graphite on paper
24" x 18"

Untitled (November 3 2014)
colored pencil/graphite on paper
24" x 18"

Untitled (June 15 2016)
colored pencil/graphite on paper
24" x 18"


 
 

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