Guess what day it is? It’s Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s social media TAKE OVER day, distilled into a convenient article for your reading pleasure! As joyfully addictive as scrolling through social media pages can be, we realize that there are some days when conspiring forces prevent us from getting our fix. Perhaps you were otherwise predisposed when we first unveiled our TAKE OVER with Emilie Dietrich across our social media accounts earlier this month. Craving an artistic pick-me-up? Wondering if there is a new-to-you creative individual whose efforts will part the clouds in your sky? This article is designed just for you!
Creative inspiration is akin to a spark of magic, isn’t it? Twelve times a year, we ask a different member of our art community if we can peek through their artistic lens of appreciation. Ohhh, the things you can learn about a person just by seeing what kind of imagery they gravitate toward.
Throughout the years, this once-a-month event has enabled us to revisit old artsy favorites as well as discover new gems. We are sure that the inspired curation of Emilie Dietrich, president and creative director of RAYMAR Fine Art Panels, will deliver few tasty creative treats to your field of vision. Thank you for joining us and three cheers for Emilie’s sharing and caring spirit!
Emilie Dietrich // President & Creative Director of RAYMAR
Emilie Dietrich runs RAYMAR, a second-generation family art supply business. Since 1998, her company has been producing fine art painting panels and materials used by professional artists worldwide.
From an early age, Emilie was always wildly creative and had a passion for fashion and interior design. However, like many creatives, she was discouraged from pursuing a career in the arts. She heard the common refrain, “You’ll end being a starving artist.” As a result, she followed the conventional route and graduated from the University of Notre Dame’s business school. Emilie then worked as a foreign exchange and commodity broker with the Chicago Board of Trade. Financially successful yet creatively stifled, she knew she wasn’t living a life meant for her. She left finance in search of a more authentic, artistic life and attended Parsons School of Design in NYC.
In 2008, Emilie was called to carry on her father’s legacy after his unfortunate passing. She took the reins of RAYMAR and grew the company into what it is today. She is passionate about crafting the highest quality art panels that serve as the foundation for one’s artwork. When she’s not running RAYMAR, you will find Emilie painting with watercolors, portrait modeling for artists, playing classical piano, or collecting her next passport stamp.
Hello, all you Beautiful Bizarre followers! It’s an honor to guest post for you and share various personal creative inspirations that have played a role in my own artistic journey. As an artist and most importantly a creator of RAYMAR fine art materials, it is my mission to empower artists with the tools and inspiration to bring their creative visions to life. Ultimately, I hope to add more beauty and meaning to the world with art. Please enjoy the following creative recommendations which I hope will ignite something within you.
Jamie Beck // “Chateaux Portrait Series” (2018)
Jamie Beck is a tremendous inspiration to me. It’s obvious that she’s an incredible photographer. Her works deeply resonate with me since I lived as an expat in France. In Jamie’s case, she left New York City to spend a year in Provence. She ended up making France her permanent home base. In a similar vein, I lived in New York and Los Angeles for many years. Then I decided to put all of my belongings in storage and spend a whole year in France.
Jamie’s photos embody that interesting sensation when a foreign country starts to feel more like home than the country you were born in. Her time in France resulted in some of her most creative photography. This past year, she produced some truly stirring self-portraits as part of her COVID-19-inspired series called Isolation Creation.
Creativity gives us something to live for. I know that creating kept me sane during quarantine. Jamie’s photography is an inspiration and a reminder to find the beauty in every day and every small moment. A blooming bouquet of artfully arranged flowers can be just as inspiring as a well-curated French cheese plate. Most importantly, you can reach inside to find the beauty within yourself.
Nicolas Martin // “Coco” (2018) and “Red Lights” (2020)
Nicolas Martin (b. 1980) is a Parisian who lives and works in Montreal, Canada. His style is very tonal, with a moody, ethereal quality. He conveys such intense feeling with minimal use of color.
Coco Chanel has always been a great inspiration to me. She was a strong female who built her own empire and wasn’t afraid to do things differently. When I saw this painting of Coco Chanel by Nicolas Martin at a show in New York, I snatched it up! I liked that he portrayed her later in life. She was a woman of style and strong ideals until the end.
This painting reminds me of the legacy that Coco built over the years and serves as a personal inspiration. Through my company, Raymar, I’m able to provide artists the tools (art panels) to bring their creative visions to life. I think we are all building our own personal legacies through the creation of art. We hope our efforts will touch and inspire others, and ultimately live beyond ourselves.
Manolo Blahnik // Art Book: “Manolo’s New Shoes” (2010)
I’ve always had a love and fascination with shoes. I think they are unique little pieces of art – a combination of fashion and architectural design. As a kid, I dedicated one bookcase to all my shoes, which I nicknamed my “shoecase.”
After years of wearing a uniform in Catholic school, shoes were my way to express my individuality and creative side. When I came across this book of Manolo Blahnik’s drawings, it touched on my childhood fascination. Manolo always begins the process of creating his exquisitely sculpted heel designs with colorful sketches. “Manolo’s New Shoes” inspired me to explore the medium of watercolor.
Ludovico Euinadui // Music From the Italian Pianist and Composer
Music is an essential part of my life. I grew up playing everything from Bach to Beethoven on my parent’s 7’ 4” August Förster grand piano. Ludovico Euinadui is an Italian pianist and composer who strikes a beautiful balance between classic and modern.
Worth noting, he bends the rules of classical music and its rigid structure. This enables him to imbue his music with a deeply emotive and almost haunting quality. His creative approach to his art reminds me to not be afraid to bend the rules and test the boundaries. In the end, you have to ultimately create what is pleasing to you.
Olga Krimon // “Figure in Red and White” (2020)
Olga Krimon is a Russian artist who lives in Manhattan Beach, CA. I met her many years ago and had the pleasure of traveling with her on an art trip to Paris. Her work has really evolved over the years and she continues to amaze me. She pushes the boundary of realism towards abstraction and I really appreciate the fact that she isn’t afraid to try new techniques.
I am really drawn to this piece of hers, called “Figure in Red and White.” Her bold use of color, texture, edges, and abstraction, is just… delicious. I always find myself coming back to Olga for creative inspiration.
Caroline Reboux // Hat Designer
I’ve always had a thing for beautiful vintage hats, which is evident by my profile picture. They inspire some of my illustrations. One of my fashion inspirations is designer Caroline Reboux, a mid-19th century French designer. She was considered the “Queen of Millinery”, and made hats for Marlene Dietrich and the Duchess of Windsor, among many others.
Reboux’s cloche hat became all the rage during the roaring 20’s. I wish I could have experienced that era. She was the first designer to add a veil to her hats. That style just so happens to be one of my favorite types of hats to wear. When I lived in New York, one of my inspirational ‘artist dates’ was to go to the MET and swoon over Caroline Reboux’s many vintage hats on display.
Tony Viramontes // Mixed Media Illustrations
Tony Viramontes (b. 1956) was an incredible fashion illustrator and photographer for iconic fashion houses like Valentino, Chanel, Christian Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent. In 1988, Tony sadly died far too young – he was just 31 years old.
Being a child of the 80’s, I was drawn to his bold use of color and his hard and direct yet whimsical style. I can still envision my former self rocking a side ponytail while wearing my older sister’s Tony Viramontes-illustrated t-shirt. Don’t judge me.
Fast forward years later when I was living in New York, I remember walking up 5th Avenue after class at Parsons School of Design (where Tony also attended). I recall seeing a quote by Viramontes on the Bergdorf Goodman windows. It read, “Stop wondering what others need to see. Don’t be afraid to put it down on paper.”
That quote always stuck with me. It reminds me to not worry so much about what other people might think when you’re creating. If you create for yourself, you will love it much more. First, you have to get it out of your head and put it down on paper!
This is the final creative inspiration that Emilie Dietrich selected for her Beautiful Bizarre social media TAKE OVER. Thank you Emilie for compiling such intriguing visual stimulation for our art community. We really appreciate your effort and generosity!
