One of the things I love about participating in Art Shows and Open Houses is the opportunity to experiment — to play in the garden.
Back in what high school (the dark ages as T1 knows them) loved designing clothes. I desparately wanted to draw, and I loved sewing, and the two matched up nicely. I designed a kimono and my prom dress. I painted on jean jackets and jeans. In my mind I was the next Coco Chanel as I slavishly copied drawings and dresses by Erté.
The road back to drawing and painting has been a gratifying one, so a few months ago, looking for ways to make art functional, I decided to trace my steps back even further and started thinking about wearable art.
Not wanting to make something I wouldn’t use myself if it didn’t sell and realizing that I’m a tad old for a prom dress, I started thinking about accessories which, if you’re like me and strike fear into the scale every morning, are always fit. I made up a fabric pattern from some designs to make scarves and, acting on my firm belief that you can never have too many handbags, started thinking about tote bags.
The result was a romp through the painting and sewing garden. My studio is just now beginning to recover.
Experimentation was rewarded at the Open House at Bedlam Farm with good sales, but playing in the garden and getting paint on your fingers is often its own reward.