The story behind the Fashion Series
Looking back over this series, I'm reminded of my childhood when I loved playing with Barbies. I also had a grandmother that made all of her clothes and all of her children's clothes. When she passed, I inherited the fabric that she had. I loved making clothes for my Barbies. I believe I was 10 years old or so when I received a sewing machine as a birthday present. Prior to that, I was hand-sewing clothes. At the time, I wanted to be a fashion designer. I don't think fashion would have been my thing, but I am fascinated and inspired by the sketches fashion designers make.
It is funny because you would think I am super into fashion and follow the latest trends, but that is not me at all. I tend to just grab something in my closet with not much thought. I appreciate the art of it all from afar, but not as an inspiration for my fashion style if that makes sense.
The process for me was using a combination of collage, acrylic paint, oil pastels, ink, and other sketching mediums. Another thing I inherited was a ton of clothing patterns that I have hung onto for all these years. I discovered that I love the tissue paper texture added to my painting. It is transparent once it is glued to the painting, so you can see the layers below. I just find that very interesting. I also use papers that were used under pages in my art journal while painting. I love the random marks that they offer. I would tear those up and paste them onto my background without a specific plan. I allowed it to develop on its own. Once I tear the paper, the shape gives me the inspiration to build on the dress. Once I have the dress, I add the silhouette of the woman wearing it. I chose just a back silhouette because the piece is more about the dress and the figure, not the person in it. I finish it off with more expressing marks and I am done.
I hope you have enjoyed this little glimpse into my inspiration and process. If you would like to see the whole series, visit the fashion series section of my gallery. I would love to hear from you. Let me know if you enjoy reading about the story behind the art.