"Little Blue Dress" for EBSQ's 'Mid-Century Modern Chic' Show

My Entry for the "Mid Century Modern Chic" Show (click for link to the show)


As per my personal moratorium against buying any new art supplies for as long as I can hold out, I've been creating/constructing my own painting supports recently, in lieu of retail purchasing of pre-stretched/wrapped canvas or canvas panels, et al. In some of these instances I've been able to incorporate a frame into the piece as an overall 'element' -- which serves two purposes really...., that being (1.) to make the painting ready-to-hang and 'finished' in appearance, But also... (2.) to utilize an old. salvaged, homeless frame, that no one actually wants, but at some point a tree was cut down for, and which would likely only add to our present national waste-stream if a use for it weren't somehow fandangled. Such was the case for this little piece I recently conjured up....:



My accompanying artist statement:

"Little Blue Dress".....

Back in the day, in the '80's when I was in high school, my girlfriends and I developed a penchant for vintage clothing. We would often comb thrift stores and garage sales, searching for particularly good specimens, and showing off our precious scores. I can well recall one dress in particular, that I estimated to be from the late 50's/early 60's, which I felt incredibly lucky to have stumbled across by chance at a rummage sale, and dearly loved. Baby blue, with a sweetheart neckline, a full skirt and wide white sash -- this is my homage to an elegant Mid-Century dress I once thrifted, wore, and adored...., and which has long since been lost.....

Painted in acrylics on a hand-fashioned canvas-panel I constructed myself with salvaged materials, and with a built-in frame incorporated into the painting as part of the overall piece......