Yumiko Oshima

 Happy Birthday Yumiko Oshima!! Born in 1947, this woman artist from Japan is a Manga artist. She began her work in comics in 1968. She has won various awards for her efforts. Oshima is credited with the development of the “catgirl” character type and influencing Japanese anime, with Chibi-Necko in her comic: A Star Over the Cotton Country.
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Jacques Louis David

Happy Birthday Jacques Louis David!! Neoclassical painter from France, David was born in 1748. After his father's death at age 9, he was sent to live with his uncles who were prominent architects. He did not do well in school, but was an incessant drawer. After trying many times he finally did win the Grand Prix, Rome, and went to study in Italy, returned to Paris and achieved fame. He was an important influence in academic Salon painting, with a large number of pupils. His work referenced various ideals including political, cultural, and social. The Oath of Horati, included here, refers to the Enlightenment and Rousseau's social values.

Sassoferrato

Happy Birthday Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato!! (Commonly referred to as just Sassoferrato, the town of his birth) Italian painter from 1609, Sassoferrato was a Baroque painter. His father was a painter and he trained under him as well as other painters of the time. Not much biographical information about him remains, although we do know he produced many devotional paintings for various patrons. This painting is the Madonna in Prayer.

Sir Edward Burne-Jones

Happy Birthday Sir Edward Burne-Jones!! British artist, born in 1933, Burne-Jones was a painter, stained glass artist and he worked in a variety of crafts. He was a 1st Baronet and worked in the Pre-Raphaelite style. The Beguiling of Merlin was finished in 1877 and was commissioned by art collector Frederick Richards Leyland. The painting represents the infatuation of Merlin with the Lady of the Lake, showing Merlin tangled in a bush while Nimue reads from her spell book.

Kurt Wegner

First I have to say Happy Birthday to my grandbaby Isabella Paz Jimenez Frederick!!! She is three years old today!!!

Happy Birthday Kurt Wegner!! German painter, Kurt Wegner was born in 1908, in Koln, Germany. He relocated to Sweden, where he lived until his death in 1985. The portrait included today is an example of his expressive style.

Rufino Tamayo

Happy Birthday Rufino Tamayo!! Mexican painter, born in 1899, Tamayo was orphaned at age 12 and raised by his aunt. He was educated for a time at San Carlos Academy of Fine Arts and then began to study independently. In 1921, he became the head designer of the ethnographic drawings department at the National Museum of Archeology, Mexico City. A contemporary of Diego Rivera, among others, Tamayo was influenced by the pre-Columbian artifacts he worked with and soon became an artist in his own right. He painted murals for various public places, espousing his political views through his images. About Tamayo and the mural included here, Nobel prize winning poet, Octavio Paz, stated "If I could express with a single word what it is that distinguishes Tamayo from other painters, I would say without a moment’s hesitation: Sun. For the sun is in all his pictures, whether we see it or not."

Jef Diederen

Happy Birthday Jef Diederen!! This painter was born in 1920 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He was a Lyrical Expressionist and worked with open forms and color. He used other materials with his paint including metallics, plastic film and spray paint. He was inspired by music and nature and used his inspiration to paint the emotions evoked.