Art Opening Reception "Shadows of the Past"

I am so happy to announce my one woman show at Gallery 103 - opening reception on Friday, April 4th, 6:30 - 8:30pm. 103 Baker Street, Maplewood, NJ, 07040.  

I have been in a painting frenzy with ideas coming fast and furious for the last few months... and now it is coming together and coming to life!

Here is a brief description of the show to fill you in on the thought behind the art...

From early childhood I was fascinated with old movies and period piece costuming.  One of the highlights while studying Fashion Design at FIT was going behind the closed doors of their costume museum for an up-close presentation of 80-100+ year old lingerie and sleepwear.  Creating this series “Shadows of the Past” gave me the chance to re-visit that love and dwell in a world of antique clothing, past memories, and my own creative process.

I started with the dress and corset pieces, which opened the door for all the dress mannequin paintings - which arrived fully painted in my imagination. It was a matter of sitting down and allowing them to come through me.  These pieces asked (demanded) to be painted.  Like a crowd of people waiting, jostling, pushing to get through a narrow doorway – the images needed me to let them through, using my hand to come to life. The best I can describe the process... it was as if I was painting my ghosts, my ancestors, the spirits of my past.

Many of the paintings are lighter and softer in color than I am used to working, adding to the sense that they are a memory which passed through leaving an imprint on the paper.

Through this collection I am not only exposing the “unmentionables” and the ghosts in my own attic, but have also 'exposed' my artistic process.  Included are pieces taken right out of my sketchbook, and in many paintings the underlying drawings are in charcoal showing the bones of the work. 

The mannequins stand silently telling their story, a reminder of our link to the past.

Hope you can join us at the opening reception!