31. December 2011 by Diana Durham.

Here is Sonam- the finished version. Mixed media.

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16. December 2011 by Diana Durham.

I was invited by one of my business friends to attend an event at the Club Aficionado, a deluxe cigar and wine bar in Orange County. The place is located in a great area of Lake Forest, right off the 5 freeway. I did not know what to expect before the event, so I was a little anxious. But as soon as I walked in, I was greeted by sharp-dressed men and women who greeted me with nice smiles. The owner was smoking a classy-looking cigar.  Inside, there were beautiful custom-made tables and chairs, luxury tables and chairs, and made in U.S.A.- all products of  Darafeev Furniture.  If you haven’t seen the Darafeev furniture yet, you have to check it out, and if you can afford it- order your deluxe game stools and tables from them. The quality of work and attention to detail is amazing!

I saw a lot of artistic gaming tables, including a chess table, billiards and other games, and there was a gorgeous cigar chair, too. The place was classy, dimly lit and the bar attendant was smiling and polite. There was quite a crowd of men and some women. Most men were smoking elegant cigars and chatting politely.  There is also a lot of beautiful art on the walls, and I spent some time admiring them.  After the hours d’ouevres, there were lots of plates of  delicious Persian food brought over.  The entire group I was with spent the evening chatting away and enjoying the ambiance.  Aficionado Cigar and Wine Bar- a classy place with lots of beautiful art and creative deluxe furniture by Darafeev. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants an exotic night on the town in a more elegant ambiance.

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11. December 2011 by Diana Durham.

Here is a sketch I did and titled it Pussycat Pin-up Girl. Pencil.

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6. November 2011 by Diana Durham.

Yesterday, I was working and wondering if I could spare a moment to visit the Glamourcon- a show for Playboy models and Internet models, memorabilia vendors, photographers, and pin-up artists.  And lots of admirers. My schedule has been really busy lately, and I haven’t had time for art, so I was burning with desire to go to the show and get in touch with my artistic side, which I constantly have to put on the back burner.  I finally gave in to the impulse, after making sure I can finish the project I am working on in time. 

I read in the show newsletter that Olivia the pin-up artist (my favorite pin-up artist) would be there, so I thought that maybe this time I would muster the courage to tell her what a big fan of hers I am- I have been watching her artwork for years, gone to her art exhibits and bought her books, which she autographed with her gold pen and a beautiful  spiraling”O”.

For those of you who haven’t been to the Glamourcon, I hope you will visit one day. This year it was in Long Beach, sometimes it is in LA.  I arrived there, and the first thing I noticed was that there were a lot more exhibitors than the previous year- a good sign, I think. And I wanted this year to be my first time to come out of my shell, so I decided to start talking to some exhibitors, after my friend Mary Alice encouraged me to do so. I wanted it to be a special year- I think this was my third or fourth visit in about five years or so.

After walking around the tables and looking at the beautiful photos and posters presented by the Playboy bunnies and centerfold from decades- many of which were nude, some artistic-  I decided to say hi to some models for the first time in years of being quiet and just walking by.  I got a good reaction-better than I expected, and I had more fun than ever- because they were all very friendly and talkative! And then I met Kitt Fox- a lovely, beautiful, tall and witty model from North Carolina who told me her secret to a good pin-up pose and would love to talk to me more about  possibly becoming my model. Here is her portfolio, check out her gorgeous modeling photos and say hi to her if you want (you can tell her I sent you, if you are shy) :KittFoxx

After a good tour around, I stopped by Olivia’s table and bought her latest book, which she autographed. Only this time I told her how much I admired her artwork and talked to her. We had a good conversation. She was extremely friendly and nice. Small feminine gestures, delicate frame- she reminds me of her pin-ups- there is a lot of Olivia’s personality in her work.  I was so excited about meeting Olivia that I left my credit card at her table.  Here is Olivia’s site, check out her beautiful artwork: www.eolivia.com   I bought her Malibu Cheesecake book- which she autographed with her elegant gold pen, making a beautiful spiral “O” with an elegant motion.
The first thing I did was to call my friends and tell them that I talked to Olivia, then her assistant came up to me to return my card. I mustered up more courage and handed him my business card- I would love to help her with her online marketing projects!

After recovering a bit from my excitement, I walked around and found a model whose looks and photographs I liked from the first time I saw them, a few years ago. Meeting Dolores Del Monte again was a thrill-she is Miss March 1954 in Playboy. I talked to her a couple of years ago, but this time I ended up having a good hour of conversation- well, mostly listening, but I was enjoying listening to her. I have always admired her photographs and looks, you may want to check out her website, too: www.DoloresDelMonte.com She is intelligent and quite a business woman, and she is still gorgeous.

At one point, Olivia came to Dolores’ table and they started looking at at Dolores’ photo album which was filled with great moments from the past- people, places, times. Dolores had incredible stories about each image, stories about the world of art and modeling, some famous people like Hugh Hefner…I was mesmerized and taken back in time, wishing I could preserve that conversation between them. It is now sorted in my memory files as one of my favorite moments- meeting two icons of the art and modeling industry reminiscing about the past…

It was one of the best days for someone like me, aspiring to be a full-time pin-up/glamour artist. Meeting lots of beautiful women, and meeting of my favorite models and pin-up artist. I was happy that I decided to go.

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21. February 2011 by Diana Durham.

Here is a sketch of another Chess Queen pin-up artwork in progress. Pencil on paper.

 Due to my heavy schedule and work, I hope to have more time to dedicate myself to it later.

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1. January 2011 by Diana Durham.

One of my pin-up art artwork pieces will be featured at the Exotica Erotic Art Show at the Gallery Expo in Long Beach, CA.

The show will take place on January 7, 2011 and it will be a lot of fun- live entertainment, art, body painting, wine, beer and networking with other artists and art collectors. One day one only. Ages 18 and up.

For detailed  information and directions, you can visit the Diana Durham Pin-Up Art News Page.

Hope to see some of you there

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19. December 2010 by Diana Durham.

Despite the busy schedule, I felt that I needed to relax, so I continued the Sonam pin-up artwork  and began the underpainting.
I decided not to use the frisket, so I used tape all around the body. It turned out to be a time-consuming task, so maybe I will do the frisketing next time. 
I used a combination of acrylics and watercolors, sometimes mixed. I am experimenting with different things unti I figure out what I like best.

Here are some of the images for the pin-up of Sonam underpainting.

 Another image

 And another…

Hope you enjoy it…More later…

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24. October 2010 by Diana Durham.

It’s been a long time since my last post…What happened? Life happened. This has been a topsy turvy year with lots of excitement.  Very busy, but I am glad I am finally able to do some art again. So, I have recently started on a new pin-up sketch-let’s call her Sonam for now. An exotic girl hopefully. And now the tough part- what is Sonam’s story? I have a few ideas, so I am still thinking about it. I just see rust reds, golds and soft antique browns for Sonam in my minds’ eye.  I hope you enjoy the Sonam pin-up art sketch.

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26. March 2010 by Diana Durham.

While busy doing marketing, I am also thinking about my next art pin up. I have already started a while ago on a Betty Paige, and left it unfinished. So, I am just wondering if I should resume and correct that piece, or start a new one like it, or just simply start with a fresh idea.
So, I will just wait for that moment to inspiration to strike. I know from experience that this usually happens only when I relax. so if I try too hard, I will have the prestigious block every artist encounters occasionally. The best thing to do is to actually not think about it- then eventually my subconscious will start working again…
Wish me luck.

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24. March 2010 by Diana Durham.

Hello,

Welcome to my art blog- a blog about my pin up/glamour/fantasy art.
Stay tuned for more!

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10. February 2010 by Diana Durham.

I just finished one pin up art piece I titled “Chess Queen”.  I love the game, and I have wanted to do a chess art pin up for a while now. So, this is the first one of a series I am currently working on.

The Chess Queen pin up art is done in acrylic and mixed media. I used a different method than other times- one where I relied more on adding thin layers upon layers of paint, mixed in with pencils and pens. I used the airbrush sparingly this time- I wanted thinner layers and more defined lines. When airbrushing, I sometimes have to use templates and friskets- and I personally don’t like them. So, I tried the paintbrush- it does take longer, but I don’t have to worry about cutting friskets. I still used the airbrush once in a while- but much less than in other paintings.

The goal was to render with paint.

You can view more information about this pin up on the DianaDurhamFineArt.com site. You can also purchase the original and hand-signed and framed limited edition prints.

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