Salons
A Retrospective of The Artist's Work by Subject
Sculpture
While attending the Norton Galley and School of Art, Ouida George had the opportunity to study with Spanish-born American sculptor José de Creft. Ouida claimed José was the reason she continued to study sculpture as he was a gifted teacher, who encouraged his students to work in direct materials. She also attended sculpture classes at the famous “La Esmeralda,” The National School of Painting & Sculpture in Mexico City. Although she began a promising career sculpting in wood and stone, Ouida soon realized that with her intense love of color and light she needed to concentrate all her energy on her painting.
Early Work
Ouida George sketched and painted from early childhood and attended the School at the Art Institute of Chicago, before moving to West Palm Beach in 1941. After many independent courses in anatomy, advanced art, and life drawing, in 1948 she attended the Norton Galley and School of Art where she studied with Ann Norton for about a year working in clay
Flowers
Ouida George’s style of painting flowers is generally to paint them quite thick. Her treatment entails using layers of varnishes over an ample quantity of paint, which allows the luminescence of each color to show through. Ouida loved to grow flowers and favored roses and anemones. While traveling through the south of France she saw for the first time all the mimosa trees covering the hillsides and said she just fell in love with in all the different shades of yellow.
Paris
Ouida George’s apartment on the Rue Gît-le-Cœur near Notre Dame Cathedral had a spectacular view of the Pont Neuf. Each morning she strolled through the flower market passing ornate buildings and barges along the Seine on her way to the Louvre. On her first trip, she kept prolific sketch books and produced many drawings and pastels. On subsequent trips, she brought her own oils and brushes which allowed her to paint Paris en plein air. Her extended stays in Paris greatly influenced her style especially the Musée du Jeu de Paume’s famous collection of Impressionists, now displayed at the Musée d’Orsay. She was inspired traveling through the countryside to Renoir’s home at Cagnes-sur-Mer, Monet’s garden at Giverny, and following Van Gogh’s steps through Arles to Saint-Rémy and Bonnard’s from Normandy to the French Riviera.
Exotica
Ouida’s exotic paintings are of peoples of the earth that she actually saw during her travels. She was most inspired to paint traditional women, whose lifestyle, customs and regalia remained intact. Through Ouida’s eyes one sees quixotic girls in colorful tropical settings. While traveling in Korea she saw the lotuses which rise above the water and fruit and flower simultaneously. She’d never seen anything like them before and thought they were wonderfully exotic. Subsequently adding them to many of her landscapes.
Far Away Places
Ms. George’s passion to travel took her around the world many times – from Martinique to the Seychelles, to Africa, India, Borneo, and through most of Asia – the more remote and colorful, the better. Her paintings and drawings document all the extraordinary things she observed: the people, flower markets, animals and landscapes. She felt her most creative paintings were influenced by her travels, particularly to China, Indonesia, and India where she felt transported back in time. Over the years she visited India ten times and many of her later landscapes are from different regions in north & south India. Invigorated by her travels, she would return back home to her West Palm Beach studio to paint.
Girls & Hats
When Ouida George first moved to her home studio in West Palm Beach there was a farm nearby where she would draw the flowers and vegetables gardens. She started a series of paintings of women in exotic clothing representing different flowers as the Hollyhock or Iris or Peony. Another popular series consisted of women in all kinds of different hats. She then started a series of little girls, often adding one of her English Springer Spaniels puppies that she raised and trained for the show ring. Ouida’s own trellis garden was the background for many for many of these paintings.
Portraits
Ouida neither formally studied portrait painting nor thought of herself as a portrait painter. Her forte was painting people in a lovely natural setting with their pets. Her painterly yet relaxed portraits brought commissions from Palm Beach residents and winter guests. More than once Ouida was commissioned to paint the portraits of Palm Beach children; only years later to paint them again as adults or with their own children.
Animal Portraits
The first portrait Ms. George ever painted was commissioned by a Palm Beach patron, who requested a painting of her dog on the beach by the Breakers Cottages. Then suddenly, she had two dogs, and finally she wanted to be in the picture as well. Ouida’s love of animals served her well as she painted portraits of many beloved dogs, cats, horses and birds. In later years she painted animals she observed during her travels to Africa and India.
Bed & Bath
Once Ouida began painting her bed & bathtub series they became very popular and many of her patrons wanted their portraits in bathtubs surrounded by their pets. They were discreet but playfully depicted something of the personality of the subject. Later, she painted anonymous people in their beds set in mysterious rooms with tile floors and nocturnal animals.
By The Sea
Ouida’s Brighton Beach series offers her view of Victorian England – ladies sitting on the beach in full attire, imaginary couples dining, a glimpse of life around the Pier. Her at the beach collections were extremely popular and she continued to receive commissions for these seaside themes up to her last completed painting in 2014.
Stylized Works
Ouida’s stylized paintings and whimsical drawings were produced in her studio using her faculty to create playful, amusing images drawn from her imagination and memory. During her one-woman shows, she would often have a room devoted to these imaginative drawings which would always be completely sold by the end of the opening night.
Illustrations for Print
Ouida George volunteered her time to illustrate many programs for charity events. She also illustrated two books: The Compleat Child, 1966, by Lois Wyse, Joan Javits and All Fun – No Fat with Chinese Cookery, 1972, Palm Beach Heart Ball Benefit.