Erté (Romain de Tirtoff),1892–1990

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, RomaindeTirtoff (or “Erte”-a nickname based on the French pronunciation of his initials) was destined for a military career, as his father was an admiral in the Russian fleet. However, he defied expectations and proved that he was to become a fabulous fashion illustrator, moving to Paris in 1912. He is notorious for his elaborate costumes and exotic designs, especially at the Folies in Paris. Erte also spent a brief period of his life in Hollywood in 1925, working with MGM at the invitation of Louis B. Mayer.Raised as a child of the socially elite, Erte lived in Paris for a year in 1907, then moved to France at the age of 20 to work in the world’s center of art and fashion. His father strongly objected to his career choice, leading Erte to work under his pseudonym. He began his career under Paul Poiret, the most respected couturier in Paris at the time, from 1913-1914. Erte went on to work for Harper’s Bazaar for 22 years where he created more than 240 magazine covers, and his artwork appeared in publications like Vogue and Cosmopolitan.His reputation earned him the patronage of Mata Hari, Pavlova and William Randolph Hearst, as he became a major contributor to 20th-century fashion. Erte began his work with the fine print media in the 1970s, publishing more than 180 of his designs through the Circle Fine Art Corporation and then numerous lithographs and serigraphs commissioned by various publishers. In 1979, the Smithsonian Institution organized a retrospective of his work, which traveled to major museums across the U.S. and Canada.

California-based artist, Cait Chock, grew up wishing she was a mermaid but settled with drawing the imaginary. Self-taught, her background had been primarily focused on athletics, running professionally for Nike. In 2010 she was struck by a hit and run driver while out running which resulted in her nearly losing of her lower right leg. Told she would never run again, a fate she refused to accept, she relied on her other great passion, art, to keep her sane through her recovery.Perhaps living in the imaginary, and stubbornness, helped keep her motivated; a year later she proved the doctors wrong and was able to run again, though certainly not as fast. Having to consider a career change she pursued her dream to work as an artist.“My style hinges on long limbs, jagged joints, and exaggerated facial features,” explains Chock. “I give my characters a whimsical, light sense even when the theme or emotion may be darker. The juxtaposition urging the viewer to look beyond their first reaction. My mediums of choice are pen, watercolor, and pencil. I’m highly diverse and tailor my style accordingly to the client and outlet.”Growing up on Disney and properly obsessed with Tim Burton, Chock says, “One could call my style a marriage between the two.” Fashion and fashion photography are also major inspirations to Chock, “I love the angles and the way eye makeup and hair is utilized to give more emotion to the images.”Eyes tell a story and they are key to all of Chock’s characters, “I want people to feel what the character is feeling; make people connect with the moments they’ve felt the same.” The stories behind her characters, ones too long to caption for her Instagram followers, spurred her to publish a collection of illustrated short stories, “And Then She Ate the Wolf”, available on Amazon.She’s not a mermaid but found a way to never grow up; draw all day and eat breakfast for dinner.Cait Chock can be found on her website where you can purchase prints, cards, and contact for commissions: www.caitchock.com Follow her on Instagram: @caitchock