Art of Illustrator Frances Brundage

Born in 1854 in Newark, New Jersey to Rembrandt Lockwood and Sarah Ursula Despeaux,  Frances Isabelle Lockwood 

became an illustrator of postcards. She was best known for the cherub faces of children who appeared on postcards for Christmas, 

Easter, Valentine's Day and any occasion you can think up. 

Frances created beautiful women, stunning fashion, whimsical children, fluffy puppies and kittens for calendars, fans 

               4-Part Fan by Frances Brundage Published by Raphael Tuck and Sons, Ltd marked
and paper dolls. 

                          PAPER DOLLS to Cut Out & Paint - Frances Brundage - Saafield 1920s

She also illustrated several books, Arabian Nights, Robin Hood and stories of King Arthur to name a few. She illustrated the novels of  Robert Louis Stevenson and Louisa May Alcott. 

Francis was trained by her father Rembrandt Lockwood who painted church murals, miniatures,  portraits, and was a very skilled wood engraver. At 17 she had to work to support her family when Rembrandt, her father left their home. 

Her first sale as a professional was a sketch she made after reading a poem by Louisa May Alcott to author Louisa May Alcott.

She married artist William Tyson Brundage in 1884 whom she often worked with on projects. 

              Will and Frances Brundage/Blue Lantern Studio — Corbis From "The Arabian Nights," circa 1893

Francis would sign her work with her full signature, on occasion with just an initial and sometimes not at all. 

This week enjoy the art of Frances Brundage. 

Art of Xavier Sager

Another of the Christmas Card artists is Xavier Sager. 

Not much is known about his life. 

He lived in Paris in the early 1900's and much of his work reflects the joy, decadence and free spirit that defined the 
time. 

Many of the postcards he illustrated were whimsically risque.

                                              On The Beach Postcard - 1919 - by Xavier Sager 

It has been estimated that he illustrated over 3,000 postcards.

This week enjoy the Art of Xavier Sager. 

Art of Samuel Loren Schmucker

Another one of the Christmas Card Artists I highlighted after Christmas was Samuel Loren Schmucker.

For almost 10 years Samuel created postcards for the John Winsch Company and the Detroit Publishing Company, two of the largest postcard Publishers in America.  When the postcard craze slowed down he went on to paint designs for candy boxes and candy wrappers. He also did pen and ink sketches for the Philadelphia Daily Press fashion plates.

Samuel studied drawing and painting the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and at the Howard Pyle Institute at Drexel where he met fellow classmate Maxfield Parrish. 

His wife Katherine was the model for most of his postcard work. 

But what is most amazing is that Samuel contracted Polio as a small child and it left his right arm and hand partially paralyzed. He learned to grip a brush and use his shoulder and back to move his hand around to paint and draw.

This week enjoy the art of Samuel Loren Schmucker. 

Maude Humprey Bogart

On March 30, 1868 in Rochester, New York a baby girl was born. Her mother, Frances Churchill Humphrey and her father John Perkins Humphrey named her Maude.

She studied art at the Art Students League of New York when she was 18 and then in Paris at the Julian Academy.

She entered a competition sponsored by Louis Prang and Company to design a Christmas Card. She won and soon began working for the Publisher F.A. Stokes as an illustrator. Not only did she illustrate cards but calendars,

 post cards, fashion magazines,

                 Cover of Delineator magazine, April 1917. Color illustration by Maud Humphrey

and story books 

but she would paint portraits of children.

In 1898 Maude married Belmont Deforest Bogart and shortly after that Humphrey Deforest Bogart was born. 

                                    Maud and Humphrey

Better known as Humphrey Bogart. 

                                      Humphrey age 2

                                    

Maude signed her art Maude Humphrey and sometimes just M. H.   

This week, enjoy the art of Maude Humphrey Bogart. 

Artists and Christmas Cards

I was going through an old basket of items from my Father’s childhood looking for a particular old letter my dad wrote to his mom one summer while he was staying with his grandmother. He calls himself Sammy in the letter and my brother was amused. I was going to do something creative with it and give it to him for Christmas. I never found the letter he wanted but I did find some old vintage cards. One was a Christmas card. It was a small work of adorable art.

I got to thinking about the artists behind these cards and so I started hunting for vintage Christmas cards where the artist could be identified.

                      Ellen Clapsaddle she has signed the card on the bottom left and it went to print that way. 

This week enjoy Artists and Christmas Cards! 

The Art of Christmas Morning

Christmas Morning.

We wait for it all year with excitement, anticipation, anxiety, dread, fear, joy, hope and over a thousand other emotions and thoughts.

Things march across my mind. Will there be snow? Will Santa stop by?  Are my girls going to get along or emotionally bash each other as sister can so expertly do? Will I have enough Champagne? (For my secret stash in my room as well as the family.) Will my cat stay trapped in the right bedroom so she has access to the litter box?

This week we look at Christmas Morning.

                                                         Henry Mosler - Christmas Morning

I will confess I am a little sad it will soon all be over.

Ornament Reflection

As I was waiting for inspiration to land on my shoulder and whisper in my ear I was looking at my Christmas tree.

Some ornaments are frosty, matte, 

sparkling like a disco ball. 

Some are crystal stars,

 glittering pine cones

 and a few have a mirror like sheen. I could see myself in reflection.

There it is, she whispered. Find artists who have painted a Christmas ornament and included a reflection.

This week I present Ornament Reflection.

Enjoy!