Sunday, May 21, 2006

3 Bettys

Way back when "The Notorious Bettie Page" was released, there was some little picture on the sidebar of Yahoo or somewhere of Gretchen Mol dolled up as eponymous Bettie; she looked pretty darn close, all things considered(no one could fully capture Miss Page, just as no one could capture Marilyn--or for that matter, anyone--completely satisfactorily). Just for fun I doodled (on the Cintiq) a version of Mol-as-Page, then did another doodle from that one, then a third from the second. Um, there's not much difference...obviously I find it almost physically hard to push things into caricatureland...but I kind of dug the 3 versions anyway. And they all look like Gretchen Mol if they look like anyone, nothing like Bettie--save the hairdo.
I find Bettie to be very difficult to do justice to; she's truly a one of a kind beauty, just sparkling. And of course an amazing body--shapes that work together so well, she might have been designed by an artist. A living doll.

And I still haven't seen the movie.

Gretchen #1

2:

and 3:


2 comments:

Jenny Lerew said...

Thanks, doll!

I guess I'm going to have to wait for the DVD too(which should be in about 5 minutes, probably--don't think it made too much). Hey--you've got talented pals--you're an arteest too? I have to get over and see(I remember you from Marlo's blog, don't I?).

robh said...

i did see the movie and actually found it a little sad and depressing. you really end up felling a little sorry for her. her photographic persona was not her real life.