Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens, 1913, No. 90 : Robe de taffetas à fleurs (...) 1913

This fashion plate, made by Loeze in 1913, has a way of bringing me back to my own studio, you know, to that place of uncertainty and discovery. I imagine Loeze, pen in hand, carefully laying down each line, each shadow, deciding whether to commit to this curve or that. It’s all a process of emergence, right? Like excavating an image from a blank space, or, like I do, pulling a painting out from a chaotic mess. It’s all about working, scraping, and reworking until something new comes to life. Look at the parrot, for instance, perched so proudly beside the lady in her taffeta gown. It’s this unexpected detail that suggests the artist had a playful and mischievous spirit. I wonder if, like me, Loeze embraced the unexpected detours of the creative process? You have to remain open to possibility. The history of art teaches us that artists are always riffing off one another, passing ideas across time and space. That's how painting grows.