Black Betty

This is not the greatest photo in the world, shot in the studio leaning back against the wall. Please pardon the blinding shine, I will try again. But until then, here is "Black Betty." She is the same size as "Queen B." With the same number of canvases, just arranged slightly differently. The top three canvases are tree branches in an inky teal. The next one down features photo transfers of a repeated martini glass over silver leaf. "Black" is stitched through this canvas. Then the panel with the top of the dress, bulls eyes repeat in the background, and a damask pattern covers the dress. The original beading is shiny black, with beautiful texture. Then we are down to the glove, which is also dotted with bulls eyes, "betty" is painted in her palm. Finally the bottom canvas is also the bottom of the dress, the lining showing up the slit is covered in silver leaf and dotted with little photo transfers of flies.

She is a bit of a mystery isn't she? Black Betty will be heading to Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival next month!

Motormouth

Motormouth made it to Houston! She arrived unfinished, the stitching of her name across the top, and placing and sewing on the buttons took place at our studio annex, in this case a Crown Plaza just off I-59. The background, a series of stamped "M's" not only stands as initials MM=motormouth, but is much more amusing if thought of a little more phonetically. Try this, say the name of the letter, sounds like "em" and repeat "em em emm emmmmmmm."

Motormouth is stitched through the acrylic transfer of the engine block, and the scattered pattern of dots on her dress are actually the shapes of gears, or flywheels, or whatever you'd call those things with teeth. My Dad was the mechanically inclined one, not me! The dress itself was a 50's vintage smocked dress by Polly Flinders, a name many girls who grew up in the east are familiar with!

Below is a photo of my booth at the Houston show. The weather was fantastic, there is nothing better than putting on sunscreen after a long cold winter! Motormouth was a hit, even though she didn't find a new home. Her buddy "Goody Two Shoes" did, and I was a little sad to see her go. We will be returning to Texas in just a few days as I will be showing in Main St. Fort Worth. Hope to see you all there!

Motormouth is available for $1400