May The Dress Always Fit You - The 4th Finding Faith Project Complete

When I was out shopping for costumes and props for an earlier work in the Finding Faith Series, I found this wonderful checked dress at a second hand store.  Immediately I envisioned a girl in long braids and bobby socks wearing that dress, so I purchased it and put it away for a few months until I could come up with a use for it in the series.  I had no idea of what the story would be, all I knew was that I wanted to use THAT dress.  After completing the last Finding Faith painting, I took the dress out and hung it in my studio, allowing it to sort of stare back at me over the course of a week or two as I studied it while trying to come up with a story.  I have to say this was the most challenging work so far in the series. Coming up with a mirrored dresser alone was time-consuming. I found a pair of shoes just a couple of hours before the shoot. However, creating a cohesive meaningful story was the hardest part. I knew it would be about childhood memories, but how to tell it was the challenge.  As I worked on the project, writing out thoughts and ideas for the shoot, a deeper meaning evolved.  I started thinking about how important it is to remain youthful in our hearts because when we do this we are happier humans.  We notice the clouds, we watch the bees, we give ourselves the freedom to play and enjoy life, and we have faith in troubled times.  And this is what May The Dress Always Fit You is about.  

I hope you enjoy and may YOUR dress always fit you.
♥

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May The Dress Always Fit You

video

May The Dress Always Fit You
oil on canvas 30 x 24 inch




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 Note:
The beautiful young woman featured in this work is Katie Maher, a good friend of the original Faith in the first three works.  She was wonderful to work with, and being a photographer herself gave a couple of great ideas for the shoot.  She had some challenges too...it's not easy to stare at yourself in a mirror while picture after picture is being taken of you!  I am happy to say she is willing to work in another project, so you will see Katie again at some point.