Selected Works
Bio
Lulu Atkin was born in NYC and attended the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan. She received a BFA and an MFA from Pratt Institute and subsequently studied at the Art Student's League under Robert Beverly Hale. She also took courses in Medical Illustration. and studied European Art Studio Technique with a private tutor from Yugoslavia.
After three years of teaching clothing design, textiles and Psychology of Clothing courses at Hunter College, Pratt Institute and NYU, she spent a year traveling in Mexico living outdoors. Upon returning to New York she lived in a store front and when the money dried up from a movie acting role she painted a sign 'All Kinds of Sewing' and started a custom clothing business. Within three years she was wholesaling her line of Petite street wear to boutiques on New York's trendy Madison Ave. and to such stores as Henri Bendel and Bergdorf Goodman. All the clothing was made in her small factory with her staff of nine sewers. She developed a parallel business and created fur accessories under the name of 'Furry Bears'. After thirteen years her business segued into a vintage clothing store named 'Stella Dallas' which specialized in clothing and accessories from the 30's, 40's and 50's. It still exists in the same location in Greenwich Village under new management and now has a branch in Williamsburg.
In 1989 Miss Atkin first visited Vieques and was instantly smitten. She saw that here, her passion for the Hispanic life, lived in a nature-filled environment, could be realized.
Trying to buy a bowl for her new co-op she saw one at Macy's that was perfect except for the shape, the design and the size. In her new neighborhood she discovered the famous Greenwich House Pottery, just two blocks distant, where she could make the bowl she envisioned. Walking into the venerable building with the haze of clay dust whirling in rays of sunlight and seeing the mysterious wrapped forms on ancient shelves, she was smitten once again. From that time to the present and continuing, working with clay has been a consuming passion.
Her love affair with clay started with bowls, a complete set of dishes and little figurines. Her early work used her knowledge of artist's anatomy to create natural, athletic female forms delighting in the lakes and sea and in the forests. In the early 1990's, having fallen in love with bas relief, she started the first of a series of intricate carved panels featuring women in nature, a theme that continues in her present work.
Although she had several one-woman shows and was part of a number of juried group shows in NYC, she could never devote herself fully to her art work. The demands of running a store, frequent business trips and the challenges of parking her car (!) stole the time away. Since moving to Vieques she has been able to devote all her time to working with clay and exploring her artistic vision. Bas relief has become open filigree work as she tempts fate with ever more delicate works
A new series of hand painted plates and tiles features the flora and fauna all around our free-range island. Satos, Roosters, Egrets and the elegant West Antilles Grackles populate her ever expanding universe of nature while her fascination with our aquatic residents continues. Armed with camera and a sense of awe she looks no further than our beautiful Isla Nena for inspiration.
After three years of teaching clothing design, textiles and Psychology of Clothing courses at Hunter College, Pratt Institute and NYU, she spent a year traveling in Mexico living outdoors. Upon returning to New York she lived in a store front and when the money dried up from a movie acting role she painted a sign 'All Kinds of Sewing' and started a custom clothing business. Within three years she was wholesaling her line of Petite street wear to boutiques on New York's trendy Madison Ave. and to such stores as Henri Bendel and Bergdorf Goodman. All the clothing was made in her small factory with her staff of nine sewers. She developed a parallel business and created fur accessories under the name of 'Furry Bears'. After thirteen years her business segued into a vintage clothing store named 'Stella Dallas' which specialized in clothing and accessories from the 30's, 40's and 50's. It still exists in the same location in Greenwich Village under new management and now has a branch in Williamsburg.
In 1989 Miss Atkin first visited Vieques and was instantly smitten. She saw that here, her passion for the Hispanic life, lived in a nature-filled environment, could be realized.
Trying to buy a bowl for her new co-op she saw one at Macy's that was perfect except for the shape, the design and the size. In her new neighborhood she discovered the famous Greenwich House Pottery, just two blocks distant, where she could make the bowl she envisioned. Walking into the venerable building with the haze of clay dust whirling in rays of sunlight and seeing the mysterious wrapped forms on ancient shelves, she was smitten once again. From that time to the present and continuing, working with clay has been a consuming passion.
Her love affair with clay started with bowls, a complete set of dishes and little figurines. Her early work used her knowledge of artist's anatomy to create natural, athletic female forms delighting in the lakes and sea and in the forests. In the early 1990's, having fallen in love with bas relief, she started the first of a series of intricate carved panels featuring women in nature, a theme that continues in her present work.
Although she had several one-woman shows and was part of a number of juried group shows in NYC, she could never devote herself fully to her art work. The demands of running a store, frequent business trips and the challenges of parking her car (!) stole the time away. Since moving to Vieques she has been able to devote all her time to working with clay and exploring her artistic vision. Bas relief has become open filigree work as she tempts fate with ever more delicate works
A new series of hand painted plates and tiles features the flora and fauna all around our free-range island. Satos, Roosters, Egrets and the elegant West Antilles Grackles populate her ever expanding universe of nature while her fascination with our aquatic residents continues. Armed with camera and a sense of awe she looks no further than our beautiful Isla Nena for inspiration.