Name: Vikki North
Location: USA
Title: “Hollywood Girl”’
Price of Original: $400 / prints available for $69
Size: 16″x20″
Medium: Acrylic on canvas panel
Artist web site:
http://www.theredchairgallery.com/
http://redchair-vikkisblog.blogspot.com/
From Vikki:
The portrait is based on a 2″x 3″ black and white photo taken in 1946 Hollywood of my neighbor, Helena Kwasniewski. Helena is a survivor of one of Nazi Germany’s Polish labor camps. She’s now 86 years old.
15 responses so far ↓
1 Candle Artist Jfay // Feb 14, 2010 at 8:39 pm
I love it Vikki — Your work is always so beautiful and lifelike. She drew me in instantly and what an awesome life story –
2 vikki // Feb 14, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Thanks Jfay. She’s a pretty crazy old lady today, but I think she fully within her rights.
3 WILLIAM MALTESE // Feb 14, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Sooooooo Hollywood-in-its-hey-day! Reminds me of all those old publicity shots of the stars and starlets. Your work always such a pleasure in its unexpectedness and variety.
4 vikki // Feb 14, 2010 at 10:42 pm
Thanks William . It was a little tiny photo with her and couple girlfriends. I was just so intrigued with it and felt exactly the same as you looking at her. An era of real glamour and romance.
5 Ray Shuell // Feb 15, 2010 at 5:34 am
The thing that strikes me the most about the picture and the corresponding tale is the incongruity of Hollywood and the Nazi concentration camps. Even so many years on it probably still feels like yesterday to her. A truly beautiful, sensitive and wonderfully executed work made even more beautiful by the tale.
6 Sonya Meglaurel // Feb 15, 2010 at 6:40 am
Agreed Ray. Vikki has shared the story of this woman with me. She is a Hollywood icon and stands on her own without knowing the tale. But when you hear what gives her that “aura” you look even deeper into the work to find her soul behind the glasses.
7 fanny christian // Feb 15, 2010 at 7:00 am
I absolutely love this Vikki! Makes me feel nostalgic.
8 lceel // Feb 15, 2010 at 11:24 am
I know something of this story – this piece just makes me want to get to know her. What goes on behind those glasses?
9 vikki // Feb 15, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Hi Ray-
Helena’s a pretty extraordinary experience. She’s basically a shut-in now. She has no family left and in poor health. I was overwhelmed when I first met her and it took me a few days to beable to connect again, -just needing to get my emotions in check. And your absolutely right she lives in yesterday in a world we can’t begin to understand how she survived..
I check in on her all the time to make sure she’s okay. She always has a list of things for me to buy. She requested 4 pair of new thongs (sandals) a short while back. In bold neon colors of course! LOL
10 vikki // Feb 15, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Hi Sonya-
Post the war – when the camps were opened, the German’s actually gave them free passage on a tankard ship to the US. if they wanted to go. Helena’s family had all been killed in the war- so she took advantage of the opportunity. (that trip to the U.S. is a tale in itself)
She married a young Polish guy right off the boat. She says she never liked him! But, -he had promised to bring her to California in exchange for this union. They got a place in Hollywood. Oddly she stayed married to this guy she didn’t like until the day he died – about 20 years ago.
She’s a character and still full of spunk.
11 vikki // Feb 15, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Hi Lou- I’ll tell you what goes behind those glasses- pure mischief!
12 vikki // Feb 15, 2010 at 12:40 pm
Hi Fanny-
What I really love are those old photos from the 20′s and 30′s that are washed in faint color. I tried to get that effect with this painting…. but it changed mid stream. I was still pretty happy with it.
13 fanny christian // Feb 15, 2010 at 1:43 pm
It’s so beautiful Vikki….
14 vikki // Feb 15, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Thank you Fanny.
15 ray // Feb 16, 2010 at 2:29 pm
beautifully done vikki!!
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