ce , ▁fran k ▁and ▁open , ▁but ▁always ▁sens ual . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Block ▁always ▁knew ▁she ▁was ▁an ▁artist , ▁but ▁life ▁kept ▁getting ▁in ▁her ▁way . ▁Born ▁into ▁a ▁prominent ▁and ▁ill ust ri ous ▁Jewish ▁family , ▁Block ▁attended ▁Smith ▁College , ▁but ▁dropped ▁out ▁to ▁marry ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 . ▁She ▁soon ▁began ▁att ending ▁classes ▁at ▁the ▁Art ▁Academy ▁of ▁C inc inn ati , ▁Ohio , ▁and ▁exhib ited ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁sculpt ure , ▁at ▁the ▁Art ▁Institute ▁of ▁Chicago ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁Then , ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁interven ed , ▁and ▁Block ▁found ▁herself ▁in ▁F t . ▁S ill , ▁Oklahoma , ▁for ▁the ▁duration ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁There , ▁her ▁only ▁child , ▁J G ▁Wolf , ▁was ▁born . ▁ ▁Child - re aring ▁and ▁divor ce ▁occupied ▁her ▁until ▁she ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁art ▁school ▁during ▁the ▁middle ▁and ▁late ▁f ift ies . ▁Her ▁real ▁work ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁upon ▁gradu ation ▁from ▁John ▁Her ron ▁Art ▁School ▁in ▁Indian apolis , ▁Indiana , ▁where ▁she ▁lived ▁with ▁her ▁second ▁husband , ▁Maurice ▁Block ▁Jr ., ▁a ▁successful ▁department ▁store ▁executive , ▁who ▁eventually ▁became ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁William ▁H ▁Block ▁department ▁stores . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁she ▁produced ▁hundreds ▁of ▁prints , ▁paint ings , ▁draw ings , ▁and