Dress c. 1937

Ray Price made this dress design from watercolor and graphite. It's a full-length dress with a jacket, all in pale beige with small dark polka dots and accented with red trimming. Looking at the sketch, I can't help but feel for Ray. Designing is so hard! Especially when you're trying to capture something that exists only in your mind. The pressure to get it just right! I love how he included a second, looser sketch of the dress in graphite. It's like he's saying, "Here's what I'm going for, but don't hold me to it." It reminds me of the way painters build up layers, searching for the right form. Each line, each stroke is a step closer to the final image. It's a dance between intention and improvisation. Ray's work resonates with so many other artists. It's all one big conversation across time and space. And we, as viewers, get to eavesdrop on their visual dialogue.