Friday, April 27, 2007

stacked/apart/wearable

patchwork paintings stacked
patchwork paintings wall
patchwork dress

my newest series of patchwork paintings are on the most beautiful thick handmade wooden panels made by my talented friend taylor. i've been terrified of putting paint down on them and recently broke the ice bit by bit... this coincided with a treasure trove of vintage photos from one woman's life... and my desire to sew quilts on canvas.

i wish i was wearing this dress today and going on an oceanside picnic with some gruyere, olives, pinot and crusty bread with a sketch book in hand and the book i'm
reading about a horse riding Irish woman named Ella who unfortunately is married to a dictator in Paraguay.

The imagery from this book makes me want to be weave lace and smoke cigars like the Paraguayan women from the 1900's~ They wear white cotton dresses called tupois, the petticoats are flounced with yards and yards of lace--they make lace themselves (lace quite different from Valenciennes or Chantilly lace but nevertheless quite well made)-- then the outfit is completed with a bright red sash tied around the waist.

(i almost forgot the dress is jcrew... which i'm not normally inspired by, but i like that they are getting a bit bolder). alas no romantic notions of an oceanside romp today, i'm working on an illustration.

thank goodness for music... i'm listening to
matt costa in the studio ... do you know him? i think he's local. i'm never sure if musicians are big or not, just when i like 'em. have any music recommendations for me?

xoxo,
m

9 comments:

shari said...

i LOVE this post mati. beautiful patchwork paintings and that amazing dress! i recently discovered j. crew again too. ;) as for music, i'm loving the new dean and britta, eleni mandell and the rosebuds. xoxo

Unknown said...

Im from VT and Ive heard m. costa - i saw him play in Tennessee a year or so ago - very chill music :D

lisa solomon said...

mati... love the new direction. the patchwork is totally working!

kelly rae said...

hey honey, matt costa is from austrailia. he's a favorite of mine! and loving the new stuff. in portland right now, having a grand time. see you soon, i hope!

Anonymous said...

hehe...might run into that irish's woman's unfortunate dictator this week...since i'll be in paraguay. :)

ps tunes: have you heard kate havnevik? love her. good painting music. over and over again...

Anonymous said...

ps the paintings are beautiful beautiful by the way...

Anonymous said...

Oh honey, I love the new banner, the dress and especially your new work. Seriously heavenly. One day I'll own an original. I must! =)

Music suggestions: I'm afraid I'm still stuck on the anthems of my 80s youth but I have been enjoying some Astrud Gilberto lately. But you'd have to be wearing that dress to listen to her properly. =)

xoxo

Jiorji said...

i LOVE the dress!:D

Joanne Buckley said...

the dress is gorgeous... i LOVE it!!! is it for sale?