Updates on The Kickstarter: The Stories Behind the Show

"Song for a Guitar" by Alberto Vargas

Today, I am feeling very romantic and no other story in Art of the Pin-Up Girl, makes me swoon more than the love story between Anna Mae Clift and Alberto Vargas.  You see, they were quite an unlikely pair, really.  He was an immigrant from Peru and she a good Southern belle living a showgirl's life, but the moment he passed her on the street outside the stage door of The Greenwich Follies shortly after his arrival in New York, he knew he had to paint her.  I suspect, too, that he instantly loved her.

She was beautiful - a perfect muse for a painter and Vargas clearly captured that beauty as well as her ethereal grace to share with the world.   And the world - to this day - has loved her.  I've posted a collection of just some of Anna Mae's portraits on the Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/artofpinup/anna-mae-clift-mrs-alberto-vargas-how-i-love-you-s/  You can see that gorgeous face and figure in so many of his paintings.  In fact, he said that there was a little bit of her in every Vargas girl.  (I know ... "swoon")

In Art of the Pin-Up Girl, we visit the artist's studio one particular night - at an ungodly hour of the morning - when Anna Mae arrives, quite tipsy and unannounced.  She makes a few unladylike passes at the shy artist - who had still never even called her by her first name, but since he already loved her, resistance was futile.   Trying to be a gentleman, he asks her to allow him to paint her - a distraction from the heat between them.  As she lounges on the chaise, as the subject for a painting that will eventually become "Song for a Guitar", she picks up the instrument and serenades him with a love song.  It is a simple little song, that I imagine she makes up as she goes along, called "How I Love You So".  

Since I'm feeling so romantic, today I share this song with you on the SoundCloud.  http://soundcloud.com/heather-storm/how-i-love-you-so

To me it represents the beginning of a life-long love story.  You see, Anna Mae and Alberto were married and lived what I like to call "an artist's life", through better and worse, happily ever after.  And when Anna Mae died, Alberto Vargas, one of the greatest pin-up artists in history, ceased to paint.  He too passed away not long after she did, some say from a broken heart.  

Thank you for supporting our project and sharing with your friends, as we seek to keep love alive and find that there are so many reasons to swoon over Art of the Pin-Up Girl. XOXO

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1925960215/art-of-the-pin-up-girl-staged-reading-of-a-new-mus 

It's Time! Help Us Bring Art of the Pin-Up Girl to the Stage!!

Got Pinterest?

In theatre, they always say:  Don't tell me.  Show me.

So, the new craze on the net is Pinterest - a social media pin-board website that lets you capture and "pin" images from almost anywhere on the web and organize and share them however you want.  Neat, right?  Completely awesome!

I recently discovered this gem and now I'm nearly as hooked as I have been on my Art of the Pin-Up Girl Tumblr!!  There is an endless supply of all the things in the world I like and in this case, an steady stream of images to share the very visual story of Art of the Pin-Up Girl.  You see, I have created a pin-board of images and inspiration for each and every scene of the musical.  Characters and pin-ups, real and imagined are specifically placed and "pinned" so that when the  play is mounted - somehow, someday - all the resources and real life research that has lead to the writing of this piece, are all curated, collected and accessible to anyone who has an interest!  Cool, right??

Soon the music will be shared as well, and when we shift gears - into fundraising mode - you can have a full understanding of the project in detail.  It is exciting to be able to share this (long) work in progress with all the people in the world who love pin-up and who are as hopelessly romantic as I am!  And to all you cynics out there ... there are more of us than you care to dream!

Our new Twitter logo, courtesy of Baron von Lind

Come visit our Pinterest and share in the visual delights of all things Art of the Pin-Up Girl!!  Pin-Up on Pinterest!!  Now that's catchy!! 

Sweethearts of Rhythm

I have always wished that I could see an all girl "pin-up" orchestra! And to work with one is a complete fantasy. I never even knew a real one existed. I love learning something new. Please see this documentary ... it is work every penny of the Amazon Video on Demand price of $2.99!! Your heart will sing.

Can You See The Future?

Shared on Facebook from the Crystal Pistol Saloon!  It is a treasure, if you ask me!  Happy 11-11-11!

In Honor of Veteran's Day ... A Nose for Pin-Up!

The tradition of "Nose Art" - that is, pretty girl pin-ups painted on the sides of planes intended to bring luck in battle - goes back to the first world war and was a touchstone for the soldiers fighting for our freedom.  I am blessed today to share a vintage collection of photos (some quite blurry - sorry) that captures many years of this tradition in a most wonderful way!  And even though you can clearly see the influences of famous artists, like Vargas and Petty, many of these were designed and painted by the servicemen themselves.  So we have a variety of inspirations - from the fantasy girl to Bettie Boop to the actual beloved wives and girlfriends of the men who served.  So romantic!

To me, it is a nostalgic tapestry of our American spirit, all wrapped up in pin-up!  What could be better than that?  The instrumental song accompanying the pictures is a sneak peak of the main theme of Art of the Pin-Up Girl and please be advised, this piece contains nudity.

Special thanks to Dale Wilson, who has not only dedicated much of his life to serving our country, but he has also blessed us with this beautiful collection of nose art pictures.  I hope you will enjoy and share!

This is dedicated to all those who serve and the memory of those who have gone before.
Happy Veteran's Day!

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My Date with The Baron

Fedora Moon Goddess

by Baron von Lind

A few months ago, I posted a link on my Art of the Pin-Up Girl page on Facebook declaring my love for a pin-up artist that I had recently discovered in my Tumblr travels whose signature was simply, "Baron".  I began to look for him and discovered his website, which archives his body of work and told just a few of his many great travels.  I told him in the e-mail I decided to send that I was mesmerized by his work.  One glance at this divine Moon Goddess and I'm sure you can relate to my swooning.  I explained about my Art of the Pin-Up Girl project and that I would really love to meet him.  The next day I had a telephone call from the artist himself, and he quickly invited me to visit him, since we live only an hour away from each other - as divine fate would have it!  It was one of the best days of my life.

Gerald von Lind has painted over a thousand paintings in his life, (his medium is oil on canvass) and his classic pin-ups are licensed all over the world.  He thrilled me with his stories of a life in art, especially pin-up (he was friends with Gil Elvgren at Brown & Bigelow at the height of the calendar art era), but also with his military service (18 years and he served in Vietnam), his touring as a musician (he plays bass guitar) and as a husband and father of 7 children.  I found him endlessly fascinating and a true renaissance man.  He has painted classical, pulp-fiction covers and portraits, and he is a sculptor and novelist.  He said he was afraid he would "talk both my ears off", but honestly I couldn't get enough and I still have both my ears. :)

Baron von Lind has painted movie stars like Sophie Loren and Elizabeth Taylor and even a presidential portrait of Ronald Reagan, which hung in the White House.  In his studio was a partially finished pin-up-in-progress and several other completed pieces ready for shipping to their lucky owners.  And all throughout his home, were paintings that he had done - each more beautiful than the next!  Do I have to tell you how excited I got when he showed me the wine bottles that bear his pin-ups??  (Forgive me as I swoon right now.)

Tomorrow (yes, Halloween) is Baron von Lind's birthday and although he has reached 74 years, he has the aura and attitude of a much younger man.  And at the same time, he is so full of the wisdom and brilliance that can only be earned by such a lifetime of artistic pursuits.  He has clearly lived with passion and purpose - to inspire us all.  And in his amazing generosity, he has agreed to be the official artist of Art of the Pin-Up Girl and although we shall discover many artists along our journey through the history of American pin-up, Baron's work will always be the artistic vision to grace our title and presence on the web and for all of our programming - from the stage to the screen and wherever this glorious journey takes us.  It is an announcement I am thrilled to make, especially on this day.

Happy Birthday, Baron!  You are a gift to us all!  We celebrate you!

Baron's Rosie the Riveter!

You can find more about Baron and all of his art at:  www.baronvonlind.com

And buy his books on Amazon!