smudges of emotion

As a dancer myself, for me Edgar Degas' ballet dancers are the epitome of beauty. I love the soft, textured finish of his work, the exaggerated shadows, strong lines and unexpected colours that all add to the interest and depth of his art. Very few other artists are able to create such a profound effect with their work; Degas not only capturing the beautiful shapes and movements of the dancers, but also the mood- extremely important in art. 

I don't normally like to share my own art work, but I thought I'd just post two of my own interpretations of Degas' work- the first drawn recently, and the latter back when I was just 12. I love working with pastels and charcoal; tones and shadows can be captured so perfectly and when smudged they hold so much expression within their texture.

Love Ella.

Artwork and images © Ella Dixon-Nuttall (original work by Edgar Degas)