Anya Amasova in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977)

The role of the Bond leading lady started to shift from THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. Major Anya Amasova, aka Agent XXX, is written as a true equivalent of Bond. She is Bond's counterpart from the Russians. The relationship between Amasova and Bond changed from competitors to allies, defeating the web-fingered Captain Nemo-like villain Karl Stromberg at the end. Barbara Bach, who plays Amasova, looks glamorous on screen. This diamond accented midnight black velvet gown and clunky black and white jewelry worn by Amasova in the Egypt sequence were so impressive that I had the urge to paint it. This shot from the movie depicts the moment Amasova kneels in front of henchman Jaws to pick up the secret microfilm cartridge everybody was fighting for. (8" x 10" acrylic on canvas)

Karl Stromberg in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977)

THE SPY WHO LOVED ME was the first new James Bond movie I saw in the cinema. I was a teenager in the 70s. After watching the movie, I was hooked on Bond. Fortunately I had the opportunity to see all the older Bond movies in repertoire cinemas in the 70s. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME was an expensive looking movie. The locations, the sets, the car, the action, the music, the fantastic Major Anya Amasova ... all the Bond elements are at work. The result was pretty mind-blowing for the 1970s. Of all the fantastic Ken Adam set designs, the spider-like villain's lair was the most jaw dropping. I must paint it! (8" x 10" acrylic on canvas)

Jaws in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977)

Who is the most iconic henchman of all the James Bond movies? It had to be Jaws. Jaws appeared in both THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977) and again in MOONRAKER (1979). Comical and scary. A main ingredient of the comic-book like adventures of the 1970s Roger Moore Bond era. So much fun to paint a larger than life character! This is the first  time I attempted to paint explosion... does it look explosive? (8" x 10" acrylic on canvas)