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Helen Beal: Difference between revisions
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Helen Beal was born in Normany, France, as the end result of her artist parents' whirlwind and utterly utopian romance. There she lived until the age of twelve, when the three moved to Los Angeles, California. Despite the change, Helen experienced a typical and uneventful childhood. In fact, it was likely easier than most, as Helen was exceptionally popular among her classmates and a favorite of her teachers. Of course, this was partially due to her French charm, but much credit should be given to Helen's own intelligence, wit, attractiveness, and foremost to her artistic talents. She was a gifted child who couldn't seem to avoid standing out. | Helen Beal was born in Normany, France, as the end result of her artist parents' whirlwind and utterly utopian romance. There she lived until the age of twelve, when the three moved to Los Angeles, California. Despite the change, Helen experienced a typical and uneventful childhood. In fact, it was likely easier than most, as Helen was exceptionally popular among her classmates and a favorite of her teachers. Of course, this was partially due to her French charm, but much credit should be given to Helen's own intelligence, wit, attractiveness, and foremost to her artistic talents. She was a gifted child who couldn't seem to avoid standing out. | ||
By high school, Helen was slightly more aware of her talents and decidedly more French about them, in the unflattering stereotypical way. She became the socially elected It Girl, with a loyal clique following. Outsiders saw her as a snob, which she was for a time. It grew tiresome for her quickly, but without means to deflect the attention, Helen took deeper solace in her art. Among her fellow young artists, Helen found friends who were more interested in life's complexities and less interested in Homecoming. One such artist was David Lithgow. Love came quickly.[[Image:davidlithgow.jpg|thumb|100px| | By high school, Helen was slightly more aware of her talents and decidedly more French about them, in the unflattering stereotypical way. She became the socially elected It Girl, with a loyal clique following. Outsiders saw her as a snob, which she was for a time. It grew tiresome for her quickly, but without means to deflect the attention, Helen took deeper solace in her art. Among her fellow young artists, Helen found friends who were more interested in life's complexities and less interested in Homecoming. One such artist was David Lithgow. Love came quickly.[[Image:davidlithgow.jpg|thumb|100px|Portrait of David Lithgow]] | ||
David, a seductive and mysterious figure, rapidly accumulated all of Helen's attention. She lived for him. Everything else took second place. A few days before their graduation, the two eloped, surprisingly to the delight of both families. For Helen's parents, their daughter was following their love-blazed path, and David's father now had a son who would be forced to give up his "silly art habit" and provide for his wife in the family business. David happily does this, but the joy fades as he begins to resent abandoning his artistic aspirations. | David, a seductive and mysterious figure, rapidly accumulated all of Helen's attention. She lived for him. Everything else took second place. A few days before their graduation, the two eloped, surprisingly to the delight of both families. For Helen's parents, their daughter was following their love-blazed path, and David's father now had a son who would be forced to give up his "silly art habit" and provide for his wife in the family business. David happily does this, but the joy fades as he begins to resent abandoning his artistic aspirations. | ||
[[Image:painting1.jpg|left|thumb|200px|House | [[Image:painting1.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Massachusetts House, Oil on Canvas]]Helen, free to continue her artistic study, was taken as an apprentice by Samuel Nathans, a colleague of her father. Although twice her age and married, Samuel fell in love (or lust) with Helen. Their year together was marked by several tentative advances on his part, which Helen--still very naive about the darker paths of love--laughed off as jokes, but when Samuel attempted to force himself upon her in their studio, she fled in horror. Their professional relationship was immediately severed. Confused, and ashamed by her own foolishness, she told no one what had taken place. For several months, she found it difficult to work.[[Image:painting2.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Empty Room, Oil on Canvas]] | ||
This lull in Helen's career ultimately brought fresh life to her marriage. They attempted to begin a family, but found it difficult to conceive. The pain of two two miscarriages thrust Helen fully into adulthood, which she found to be a dark and disappointing shadow of what she had expected. It also shattered her own golden self-image. She was not as perfect as she had been led to believe. | This lull in Helen's career ultimately brought fresh life to her marriage. They attempted to begin a family, but found it difficult to conceive. The pain of two two miscarriages thrust Helen fully into adulthood, which she found to be a dark and disappointing shadow of what she had expected. It also shattered her own golden self-image. She was not as perfect as she had been led to believe. | ||