I'm 27 days late a many dollars short (hey, teacher pay ain't the best) HOWEVER...I really did want to take a few minutes and write just a bit about some of the 'WONDERful Women' that I chose to depict in my series. The Project Runway ladies...For starters...as I was working on the series Season 16 of Project Runway was finishing up and I felt compelled to illustrate a few of my fav designers from this season. Kenya!Kenya Freeman was definitely one of my absolute favorites. I loved her designs, but I loved her story. She really had my heart the whole season and I was rooting for her. I know that she will go on to do big things- and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for her. Early on as the episodes aired she had liked my fashion illustration of one of her garments from my September #DrawnToFashionJLG series...so I mailed it to her in Atlanta! Once she saw the image I made of her as Wonder Woman she loved it! We arranged a fabric/art trade...fast forward to the work in it's new home in Atlanta! (I also threw in some of my other fashion illustrations of her work just 'cause she's so great!) http://sylviamollie.com/Ayana!Another designer that I loved this season- Iyana Ife! She came in this season committed to her modest aesthetic and stuck to it- and did so effortlessly and beautifully. My favorite pieces from her were her unconventional materials pieces, and her couture piece was crazy and fun. She really had a smile that would light up the room, and I am excited to have had a glimpse into her world as a designer. http://ayanaife.com/about/Margarita!Margarita Alvarez was another designer that I loved for so many reasons. Obviously, one reason was her talent. I also loved her wild and crazy colors, and her finale looks were some of my favorites from the whole season. I loved the glitz and the fearless use of colors and graphics- and even more so because she designed so many of her own textiles. I was also pulling for her because to me she represented a shining light for Puerto Rico in the dark aftermath of the hurricane...a darkness that still has not been lifted. And since we're talkin' fashion...gotta include my fairy glam mother- Iris Apfel!Next up...some art history book favs! Sometimes I have a plan when I am working on a series...like, to a fault. There are months where I plan out each day of the series, often time in a chronological order or based on some narrative in my head. Examples include my Friday series, where I followed events in her life and included her own words...my cheer series, where I chronicled the history of cheerleading...and more recently, my series based off Greek myths, where I made a calendar and planned which goddesses and female characters I would depict each day. And then...well, sometimes I just wing it and see what happens. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I used to stress over it, but not so much anymore. Having said this- at the beginning of this series my intention was to focus on the depiction of Wonder Woman, specifically her costume, throughout the years. And I did that for a little bit...and then I started off on a tangent with the Project Runway pieces...then moved onto other female artists that inspire me. I did share this in some art teacher groups on in on Facebook for some suggestions, and everyone was more than happy to give me some great ones! Frida is always top on my list of inspirations from art history, and I really admire the styles of Louise Nevelson and Georgia O'Keeffe...not just their art but their own personal style. ...and Yayoi had me seeing spots...I also connnect with the work of Yayoi Kusama...so much so that I have featured her in my previous #GirlTalkJLG series...and I even made a last minute solo trip out to see her show at the Whitney |
AuthorArtist and Art Teacher
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