friday archives is hosted by loobylu.
i don't recall when i made this collage. i just came across it by accident (still hunting for those illusive negatives) and i had to laugh. must have been one of those days.
many years ago, between being a kindergarten assistant and owning my own shop, i was a decorative painter.
this technique is called lazur and it involves one person applying thin wet layers of pigment like a wash while the other follows behind with a dry brush blending the color over the surface. the pigments, binders and sealers used were all natural and smelled so good. there were usually four to ten coats of glaze in each job... over the entire room, or house, depending on the desired result.
my back hurts just thinking about it.
but the finished work was very satisfying :)
i'm joining loobylu and posting a little something from my "archives" on fridays. i happened to dig up some old work recently and posted about it here and here. then by chance i discovered an actual organized meme on this theme. so, here goes...
the photo above is from my last days as a clothing designer. this grainy scan of an instamatic photo (taken by a helpful audience member) is the last evidence of the last fashion show we co-produced and showed in. our theme for the show was pink on platinum. we actually spent a couple of long weekends haunting local clubs and asking total strangers with platinum blond hair to be models in our show... for free. i still find it hard to believe we got seven volunteers to agree to show up for fittings, rehearsals and two performances. i know we fed them well and drove them around, but i don't recall what other compensation we offered. what good sports they were!
i made this cinderella dress. it is difficult to see, but the bodice is made of a beautiful piece of upholstery weight tapestry of 18th century type picnic scenes. a frilly, blousey undergarment of layered, gathered pink cotton batiste is filling out the front and the skirt was made of a soft pink floral with patches of the same print in different colorways. i never do this kind of pattern-making or intricate construction sewing anymore and it is a little shocking knowing that i once did. or could.
but my favorite thing was the wedding dress we made for our finale. it was based on miss havisham from dickens' great expectations and was worn by a wonderful older woman we had met thru a friend. she had an awe-inspiring shock of pure white hair and walked the runway in her shredded lace and white orthopedic corset, leaning on an ornate walking stick and cursing the crowd. she was heaven-sent. somewhere there are photos... i'm certain.
the night of the show was a hellish 100 degrees, humid and perfectly still. the venue was a windowless, fanless, air-conditioningless art gallery... with about 200 people in attendance. it was also my first experience of a migraine. the pain was so intense and so unfamiliar to me, i didn't know what to do. i was given an otc pain reliever and a quick lesson in reflexology, but anyone who's suffered a full-fledged migraine knows these won't do a bit of good. i didn't know it then, but i was past the point of no return. by the time the second show was starting, i had to leave. i made it home, threw up and passed out.
good times, good times...
