Monday Muses: Diane Keaton

Whilst driving around day-dreaming about the next muse to feature it dawned on me that the answer was right there in my car… sorta kinda.  You see, I’ve been listening to Diane Keaton’s latest book, “Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty”  because I spend a lot of time in the car (see: LA living) and audiobooks are a way to switch things up... anyhow… Voila! One of the quintessential muses ripe for the posting!

Something about Diane has always appealed to me.  Literally, since I was a very small child - probably watching "Baby Boom" with my mother or sneaking glimpses of Woody Allen films like "Love and Death", in no way capable of processing the plot yet. What ever my first encounter was it stuck.  Then at age 14 I fell in love with the movie “Anne Hall”  and subsequently got sucked down the Woody Allen movie rabbit hole never to return. 

Diane and Woody’s partnership is infamous and complex.   In truth, Woody (more or less) based the character of Anne Hall on Diane (who’s real last name was Hall and often went by the nickname “Annie”).  The screenplay was, albeit very loosely, based on their romantic relationship which had ended a few years prior.  She obviously had a huge effect on him. 

  

Cut to Diane winning the Oscar for best actress, solidifying her place as a movie star.  The duo went on to make several more films together.  It is still clear, when you hear one talk about the other, that they have great respect and admiration for each other.  Despite it all they remain dear friends.

*please note the Liv Ullman reference -throw back to our first Monday Muse. full-circle.

Diane is the master of self-deprecating humor but behind that facade is an incredible woman.  She is also a director (*a little known fact for Twin Peaks fans, she directed an episode!), a writer, a photographer, an interior designer, an aspiring singer (although she was in the original Broadway cast of HAIR so I don't know if she can use the word "aspiring"?), a fashion icon and a single mother.

She never married but she had some great romances back in the day with men like Al Pacino and Warren Beatty (meow).  Not bad for someone someone who will outright say that she was never beautiful and seems to be on the fence about having any talent.

Suggested viewing:  Annie Hall, Sleeper, Reds, Looking for Mr. Goodbar.

For nostalgia sake: "Baby Boom" and why not throw "Father of The Bride Part One" in for good measure!

I should mention the Diane is a Pinterest fanatic and an active Twitter-er - totally worth following both!

Monday Muses: Catherine Deneuve

Time for round three of Monday Muses and another shot at reclaiming our Mondays from the evil life-sucking powers that have made it the least favorite day of the week!  This week why not meet your pals for happy hour and a glass of Rosé? Or give yourself a bright manicure? While you're at it throw on a face mask (I like this one and these).  Make today about you.

This Monday’s Muse, Catherine Deneuve, is probably all about treating herself well - it’s just a hunch. She is one of those people for whom the words 'grace' and 'elegance' were invented.

Denueuve is the quintessential French Movie Star and she has played muse to many a director (including: Luis Buñuel and Polanski). She was also at one time married to photographer David Bailey.  However, she was arguably most famously muse to the one and only, Yves Saint Laurent.  They first worked together on the film Belle de Jour in 1966 and the pair became life-long friends (until YSL's death in 2008). Deneuve even helped launch "Le Smoking" evening trouser-suit, being the first to wear the famed tuxedo designed by YSL. 

Keeping in tune with the glamorous allure, she was also very fittingly the face of Chanel No.5 for several years in the 1970s.

I think I first discovered her in either the Hunger, Les Parapluies de Cherbourg or Les Demoiselles de Rochefort when I was about 10 (I saw them all with in a year or two). Which ever it was I have been a fan ever since.  You may recall this DJRD post about her costumes in the Hunger from waaaay back when (2008 to be exact!)  By the way, she can also carry a tune quite well...

In a world of surgeries, fillers and severe phobia of aging, Catherine has managed to age (seemingly anyway) without much help and with total grace.  She still easliy holds her own next to far younger beauties…

Suggested screenings:   Repulsion and The Hunger (with Bowie AND Susan Sarandon!) or if you're into lighter fair Les Parapluies de Cherbourg or Les Demoiselles de Rochefort.

Monday Muses: Linda McCartney

For round 2 of Monday Muses I thought I would go with another somewhat unsung hero of the 1960s and 70s, Linda McCartney.

The biggest problem facing muses is that they are, more often than not, overshadowed by the people they inspire.  Particularly true when they are in a couple (just take a look at Linda's current Wikipedia photo for a blatant example of this...wowza).  Having quite literally been a Beatles fan from birth, when I was younger I only vaguely knew of Linda McCartney as “Paul’s vegetarian wife”.  Now I am simply fascinated by the life she lead - including her life before getting together with Paul.  I find it very interesting to think they didn’t even start dating until 1968, in essence, the tail-end of the Beatles.

Linda, then known as Linda Eastman, first made a name for herself as music photographer and allegedly as a bit of a “groupie”.  Whatever the truth, in all honesty, that lore makes her far more interesting.  Over the years she photographed people like: Bob Dylan, Grace Slick, Janis Joplin, Simon and Garfunkel, the Doors, the Who, the Stones. She photographed Eric Clapton for Rolling Stone magazine, and became the first woman to have her work featured on the front cover.   She is a very underrated photographer...

She had one child from her first marriage (which ended shortly after it started) yet she managed to keep her career going and be a single mum.  Then she met Paul, of course, and they started a family and began making music (and embarking on a series of adventurous hair cuts) together.

Linda took a lot of criticism for her musical endeavors but some of the work she and Paul did is my favorite music (see: all of 'RAM').   I don't think she ever put on airs about being a serious / trained musician or vocalist and I've seen several self-deprecating quotes to prove my point. Last year one of my dear friends discovered that I had never heard of Linda McCartney's solo album, Wild Prairie and gave me a copy post haste.  While it was never meant to be officially released it's such a fun little record.  It's sounds like someone having a ridiculously great time making music for themselves.

                           


She has always been a hero to me for her dedication to animal welfare and as a key player in bringing vegetarianism to the mainstream and to people's refrigerators.  She is also responsible for co-raising some pretty incredible children not the least of which is Miss Stella McCartney.  Her daughter Mary is also a successful photographer.

I think the saddest part about her legacy is, of course, that it ended so tragically early. Linda passed away in 1998 after battling breast cancer at only 56 but she has left us with a hell of a lot of great music and hundreds of beautiful photos.

for more info on Linda visit: http://www.lindamccartney.com/

Music Video: Scissors + Fire

In case you missed it, the music video for my latest single, "Scissors + Fire" premiered over at The Wild Magazine yesterday. Hope you like it!

Monday Muses: Liv Ullmann

Mondays are rough... let's just get that truth out of the way, shall we?  I've been thinking of ways to train myself to feel otherwise but it's pretty difficult.  For me doing little things to make the day more enjoyable is the key, really.  Treating yourself to a nice lunch, finding a new-to-you band or playlist to listen to, taking 10 minutes to catch up on your favorite blogs, better yet, taking yourself out for a Monday night movie -  do these things and you'll soon start to see the potential of Mondays, I promise.

More than most any other day, Mondays are in desperate need of some inspiration. With that in mind, I am starting a series of Monday posts to jumpstart our creative brains and fill our eyeballs with inspiring and beautiful images, clips and people.  To start “Monday Muses”, weekly posts featuring talented women who have acted as muse for their equally talented collaborators.  First up, Scandinavian film star, Liv Ullmann.

I've been watching a lot of Swedish films lately - trying (probably in vein) to get any sort of grasp on my ancestral language.  Most recently I watched the Ingmar Bergman film, "Persona" which stars today's muse.  For those of you unfamiliar, Liv Ullmann is a Norwegian actress / director best known for her work with Bergman. They made 10 films together and, though they were never married, they were involved romantically and had a child together.  I’d seen “Scenes from a Marriage” quite a while back which I liked but her performance in “Persona” is really incredible - especially considering she plays an actress who one day suddenly stops talking.  She has such a mesmerizing face that conveys so much to the audience without the need for words.  In the US you don't hear too much about Liv which is why I wanted to devote a post to her.

 

Suggested screenings: PERSONA & SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE - proceed with caution on that last one as the divorce rate in Sweden reportedly doubled the year it was released! ;) Both are strange but beautiful films and Liv is incredible in them.