Dress with Cape Collar 1935 - 1942

Nancy Crimi made this ‘Dress with Cape Collar’ with what looks like watercolour on paper. I'm instantly drawn to its delicate, floral pattern – like a whispered memory of a spring garden. Imagine Crimi, leaning over her desk, each brushstroke a tiny, deliberate act of love. What was she thinking as she painted these flowers, each different, dotting the dress? I see other artists in her work. Maybe she was looking at the impressionists, or textile patterns from other cultures, because painting is like a conversation, right? We borrow, we steal, we riff off each other. And it's interesting to me that it's an image of clothing; the ultimate signifier of self and how we want others to see us. It’s that kind of exchange, that little spark of inspiration, that keeps the whole thing moving forward. It makes me want to run back to my studio!