OK, Artsies, please don’t judge me, remember I was a young, impressionable girl growing up in the South.. but I was obsessed with Gone With the Wind as a youngster.  Don’t recall how old I was when I first saw the movie, but I’ve already confessed my early love for glamour and gorgeous design.  Then as a pre-teen, I read the novel, my first “adult” book, and the full-blown obsession began.  The movie always drew me back in and as an adult, I grew more critical and analytical of the characters and design.  The fifth painting in my Feminine Wiles series, is a color study of Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara, prominently featuring her signature color.

images found here here here and here

The character’s costumes, designed by Walter Plunkett feature a heavy dose of emerald and jade hues.  The green is an obvious nod to Scarlett’s Irish heritage and her notable green eyes.  But perhaps the color was used to make a few more subtle clues into Scarlett’s personality..

film image found here

Earthy yet regal, in green, we see Scarlett as the renown beauty and notorious flirt, but also the pillar of strength and a cut-throat businesswoman.  She uses whatever and whoever may be at her disposal to get what she needs.  A character that’s often difficult to love.

Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind by Lesley Frenz

acrylic on canvas panel, 6×6

Did you have any movies or characters you were obsessed with when young?  I still can’t resist watching a bit of GWTW whenever I catch it on.  Want to see more of the work in my Feminine Wiles series?  Check out the archives here.  This is the last piece I currently have finished.. guess someone needs to do some painting this weekend!

Film image sources listed above, paintings by Lesley Frenz aka Artsy Forager.