Deliciously Difficult
I did it. I actually managed to whittle the number of illustrations for the FASHION + ART gallery down to a manageable number of pieces. And out of these pieces, we created seven distinct collections. Originally there were six but certain pieces don’t fit into any collection at all. They stand alone on their own and we’re calling them the SOLITAIRES.
The PURE FASHION collection is just that, the pieces that evoke the feeling of classic fashion illustration from Lord & Taylor, Saks or Women’s Wear Daily, with loose flowing lines and splashes of color. The art was in selecting which lines to eliminate, and how many, letting the viewers’ eye fill in the blanks.
The VINTAGE COLLECTION are the very tight photo realistic pencils and charcoals I’d lose myself in—some of them are thirty years old—and the pastels I slipped into immediately afterward to loosen things up.
The BLACK & WHITE COLLECTION is a celebration of the ultimate opposites. Positive vs. negative space has always held such fascination for me. Which one is which?
The DIGITAL COLLECTION focuses on clean lines and graphic shapes of computer-generated art, Adobe Illustrator to be specific, while the CROQUIS* COLLECTION not only includes the symmetry of high-fashion designer mannequins but original ensembles as well. My first true love was fashion design. These are some of my last efforts.
Finally we have the PENCILS. So precious, these tracings were worked and reworked to absolute perfection before taking the next step with any piece. My art instructor was a fanatic about it. If your illustration wasn’t quite right she’d ask to “see the pencil” and you’d better have at least one.
Somehow I managed to keep the number of illustrations for each collection to six. Phillip’s assistance was appreciated and necessary, otherwise, I would never have gotten passed the selection phase. There’s just so much to show you but I must contain myself. Save some for later. We have over 40 offerings to start and when the time comes, I hope that selecting your favorites will prove as deliciously difficult as it was for me.
BIG, juicy, thank yous to my friends and fam for their warm and loving comments. And let me offer a hearty welcome to my new subscribers. I’m honored by your interest and your encouragement. To my Facebook and Linkedin crews, please feel free to comment right here on the blog. It’s an ego thing. I just love seeing these numbers rise. Thrill me! And stay tuned…
*A Fashion Croquis, for an Illustrator/Designer, is a fashion figure that is created nude as line art and then fashions are designed and/or rendered on tracing paper atop that figure.
Fashion + Art discuss... 
Hello hello ^_^
This is soooo cool to see and read 😀 I love it! Love the diversity in styles and poses and expressions. I can stare at it for a loooong time!
Thank you so much TJ. There’s nothing like this kind of encouragement to let you know that you’re heading in the right direction.
Amazing work, Edwina. You just don’t see this stuff in the papers ( papers-what’s that? ) much anymore with the rise of the discounters like Wal-Mart and the decline of the big department stores like Fields and others on the wane.
Thanks for stopping by, Seitu.
Photography really took over in the 80’s you know. And then the fabulous Antonio Lopez died and fashion illustration all but died along with him. You might see a piece every now and then, it’s like a retro thing, but the glory days when every major department store showcased art in their advertising are looong gone.