Pauline Campanelli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pauline Campanelli
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| Born |
Pauline Eblé
January 25, 1943 The Bronx, New York
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| Died | November 29, 2001 (aged 58) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | artist, writer |
| Years active | 1968-2001 |
Pauline Campanelli (1943–2001) was an American artist. She was famous for her super realistic paintings of everyday objects. These paintings are called still lifes. Even though her art wasn't often shown in big, fancy galleries or museums, she sold more paintings than almost any other living artist, except for Andrew Wyeth. Her most popular print, "Rose Berries," sold nearly one million copies! Besides painting, Pauline also wrote books about ancient traditions and beliefs.
Contents
About Pauline Campanelli
Early Life and Challenges
Pauline Eblé was born on January 25, 1943, in The Bronx, New York. When she was only three years old, she got a serious illness called polio. This illness made her very sick. She had to spend a whole year in a special machine called an iron lung to help her breathe. After that, she spent another year and a half in the hospital.
Because of her illness, Pauline was homeschooled. She even studied college-level books until she was 13! Later, she went to high school in Ridgewood, New Jersey. After finishing high school, she continued her art studies at the Ridgewood School of Art and the Art Students League of New York.
Her Unique Art Style
Pauline Campanelli's art style was known as "superrealism" or "photorealism". This means her paintings looked incredibly real, almost like a photograph! She was best known for her still life paintings. These paintings showed ordinary objects found in nature, like old fossils, seashells, and bird's nests.
Pauline was inspired by other artists like Piet Mondrian. She also loved naturalism, which is about showing things exactly as they are in nature. Her belief in paganism (ancient nature-based spiritual traditions) also influenced her art. She was a very careful painter. She worked hard to make sure every tiny detail was perfect and accurate.
Early in her career, Pauline painted almost twenty pictures each year. After 1990, she painted about six per year. Even so, she sold more paintings than any other living artist except Andrew Wyeth. Her most popular print, Wild Rose Berries, sold almost one million copies!
Life with Dan Campanelli
In 1969, Pauline Eblé married another painter named Dan Campanelli. They earned their living by teaching art classes and selling their paintings. In 1976, they bought an old stone farmhouse in New Jersey. It was abandoned and had no electricity! Since they didn't have much money or savings, they fixed up the house themselves using only hand tools.
Pauline, who often used a wheelchair, worked on her hands and knees to refinish the floors. Dan worked on repairing the old structure of the house. They lived a very self-sufficient life. They pressed grapes to make their own wine. Pauline canned 400 jars of fruit every year! She also spun wool from their Dorset sheep into yarn to make things. Their unique home and life were featured in magazines like Colonial Homes and Country Living Magazine. In 1985, a TV show on PBS was made about their art and life.
Both Pauline and Dan Campanelli studied ancient traditions, including witchcraft and pre-Christian rituals. They wanted to understand these old practices and connect with their rustic way of life. Pauline researched and wrote books about these topics. Her first book, Wheel of the Year: Living the Magical Life, came out in 1989. Her most popular book, Ancient Ways: Reclaiming Pagan Traditions (1991), sold over 40,000 copies!
Pauline Campanelli passed away on November 29, 2001. She died at her home near Phillipsburg, in Pohatcong Township, New Jersey. Her death was due to complications from her earlier polio illness.
Selected Books
- Wheel of the year: living the magical life (1989)
- Ancient ways: reclaiming pagan traditions (1991)
- Rites of passage: the Pagan wheel of life (1994)
- (with Dan Capanelli) The art of Pauline & Dan Campanelli (1995)
- (with Dan Capanelli) Holiday collectables: a price guide (1997)
- Pagan rites of passage (1998)
