The Dress

Do you remember your first formal dress? I was in the 9th grade when my mother made me a white long dress out of rows and rows of net cascading down to the floor, with a red cummerbund around the waist. It was strapless and I thought I was "It on a stick."

This painting commemorates that dress in a way. I am real excited about my technique. I guess you could call it "Mixed Media." Months ago I glued papers down on a large canvas (36 x 48"). Then I was stuck. That canvas has languished just outside my studio, taunting me. Well, yesterday I got it out, painted the collage with watered down gesso, rubbed black gesso into that when it dried to show off the yummy texture of the collaged papers. used gold gesso on the part without collage. It looked like a mountain or a pile of garbage. The maroon moon didn't help all that much. I'm not into painting landscapes, so I wasn't satisfied with it until, suddenly, there she was, my young girl in her first long dress. I hope you enjoy her.