Friday 10 February 2012

In praise of... Lynn Paula Russell

I love spanking art, but fear I can get a bit obsessive about one to the exclusion of the rest. When I do I probably don't give the rest a fair whack, to use that evocative English turn of phrase.
So over recent weeks I have got a little obsessed with the peerless Roger Benson. I love the Fifties feel and the curvy figures, but am now concious that I've been boring readers with my gush on the subject.
In the interests of fairness then, today's topic is another master of the spanko imagination - or mistress of - Lynn Paula Russell. A talented spanking model, Lynn Russell decided to hang up her naughty knickers and become an illustrator instead.
Inspired by her own experience she went on to become a massive presecence on the spanko scene, feeding the spanko need at a time when - pre-internet - there wasn't that much spanking-related imagery around for us to enjoy. And, she brought a wry, humorous feminine take to what she created - with the woman as participant rather than object. Or that's how it seemed to me, anyway.
Her work was famously featured in the great 'Janus' magazine, where it went a long way to making the title something really special. She was also editor the magazine 'Februs' and her work also enlivened some sex manuals for the vanilla market.
I particulalry like her period work. Historical fiction is my thing and Lynn/Paula's creations are, for me, just right. When she summons up the Victorian country house, with a strict master or mistress disciplining a cheeky maid or errant daughter, every detail is as I'd sketch it myself if I could.
When I was working on 'A Week in the Country' I had some of Lynn's work on my desk by the laptop. They helped me bring my naughty leading lady Flick to life.
If there were Spankoland Oscars the Academy would be unanimous. The lifetime achievement awared would go to Lynn Paula Russell.

PS Is it just me, or does that young lady in the last drawing need to meet up with the guy in the suit a couple of images up? I'd say that after what happened in that alley that bottom should be stripier (is stripier a word?) than the back end of a zebra!

5 comments:

  1. Lynn does capture something uniquely and beautifully feminine in her art, I agree. And all without words... so clever.

    Those pictures you've selected are all so lovely - I wish I could draw like that! If I could I'd draw endless school punishment scenes like the caning on the stage (above). How erotically and emotionally charged that one image is! The unimaginable humiliation of the naughty girl being caned; the trepidation in her friend, squirming in her seat and scarcely daring to look (for she is clearly next in line for a thrashing); the amused delight on the faces of the watching ladies - ohh! :D

    And stripier is so a word!

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  2. Stripier is, however, not a very good word. Paul Meadows is very good at picking the right image to tell a story. But her work lacks movement. If you could invest a sense of movement in her work, she would be astonishingly good.

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  3. Now I come to think about it I may make 'stripier' my word of the month for February. I'll see if I can work it into conversations and add it into day-to-day work.

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  4. Let's see, how about plaidier, or paislier? Hmm. Whatever.

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  5. Oh no, the link http://www.lynnpaularussell.com/index.html brings the message "this account is suspended... *sigh* :(

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