TAKE OFF THAT MINK ESTELLE ... IT'S SPRING

Estelle is from the series, The Muses of Amour.  The Muses series was my very first group of women of whom I painted and developed a little story.  This series highlighted four women who were the romance writers of fiction. I chose 4 well known authors like Danielle Steele, and Barbara Bradford as examples of women authors that I would use in developing the characters of the women I was painting.  Estelle is the Barbara Bradford of this series.  Estelle is the grande dame and the most renowned author of the romance novel venue.  Her books are always best sellers because her heroines are strong women who rise to the occasion no matter what hardships are thrown in their paths.  I imagined Estelle living on a grand estate in Sussex where she daily walked her corgis and dreamed of wonderful adventure for her heroines.  

I started out having Estelle in a mink coat as I wanted to represent an older grande dame.  This spring, I decided to cool her off a bit and put her in a spring polka dot dress with flowers on her hat.  Maybe she is becoming a Queen Elizabeth type?   It's fun to change the women a bit.  I like change.  Always a fresh perspective. 
Here is Estelle in her usual fur coat, all bundled up for the cold winds off the Atlantic.  She was a pillow initially and the quote on the back of the pillow read, "TO LOVE ONESELF IS THE BEGINNING OF A LIFE LONG ROMANCE."

This is a quote by Oscar Wilde and the pillow touched the hearts of so many of my "women of a certain age" customers.  
It has been fun for me to go back and revisit some of my earlier designs.  I have included Estelle on my totes and eyeglass cases and they sell very well with her image.  But, I think it's time to design a nice springy pillow honoring the grande dame of the Priscilla Mae women.  What a nice image for Mother's Day.....