800-588-2300 Empire…
I wish I’d been here when the Empire guy showed up yesterday. Phillip said he walked through the door and almost dropped his flooring samples when he saw the mock gallery pieces taped to the wall.
When I got in, the salesman Dwain was still here. He bombarded me with questions about FASHION + ART and then showed me a sketch he’d done of his son that he proudly carries on his cell phone. His enthusiasm was genuine and an unexpected delight, adding to the non-stop adrenalin rush we’ve been experiencing every single day while prepping for January’s big launch. It’s a madhouse in here!
I’d actually considered taking the work down before he arrived. It’s copy paper taped to the wall after all. But instead, I may have gained a customer. Don’t you just love when things like that happen?
More is More
I just love the way things are shaping up in the FASHION + ART gallery. So far each piece has fallen quite nicely into a framed size of 18 x 24”. A mat of dove gray with generous borders all around lends a luxurious air of sophistication. But it’s the concept of mix and match that’s thrilling. While the individual works of each collection stands on its’ own, showcasing multiple pieces — trios, quads, an entire collection — kicks the chic factor way, way up. Multiples make a powerful statement. It says to anyone who enters your space, “This is who I am. Welcome.”
Hmmm…in my crystal ball I see an attractive offer in your future. One that you simply will not be able to resist—
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.
decisions…decisions…
Oh yes. Chanel. Or was it Valentino? No matter. This piece is a definite for one of the Collections. I think. But which version? And which Collection? The pencil? The watercolor? Both? Decisions, decisions…
I’ve put it off long enough. Today is the day that I MUST begin selecting the six pieces for each category. I’m torn between going solo on these picks, inviting hubby—also an artist—to chime in with his much valued but often ‘conflicting’ viewpoint (ha-ha) or bringing in a third-party with fresh, new eyes.
And in the meantime, the website designs’ menu bar has gone through a change, now featuring a dropdown sub-menu for the Collections instead. This may evolve even further before the launch. Just trying to make it all-the-more perfect for you.
Hello world!
My mother always said that sometimes our treasure lies right in front of us yet we fail to see it. And as we all know, Mother was right more often than not.
I have created hundreds of fashion illustrations over the years. And I still have most of them. Original pencils and tracings, charcoals, pastels, watercolors, inks. For decades these works have been stored in metal flat files, preserved, protected and out of sight. Until now. I’d like to introduce FASHION + ART, a new art gallery website featuring prints of my very best work now available for purchase. This blog is to showcase various pieces and share the stories behind them. We’ll see where we go in the future but for now, this is merely The Tease. The official website launch is JANUARY 2011. I’ll keep you posted…
Fashion + Art discuss... 