Day 6: The skirt and the bird

Today, I finally completed my part of a collaboration with my friend and artist Bronwyn Schuster. She is a truly talented and wonderful person, and I'm delighted that she suggested that we do an art doll collaboration. For this one, she made the doll, and I adorned her.

I found the doll in my mail box over a month ago, with the note: "She is partly inspired by the song 'Blue Lips' by Regina Spektor, and by the idea of making hair into a birds nest."

Today I was finally inspired enough to create her outfit and further her imaginary story. I had thought and thought about what the source of inspiration was for my collaborator. I listened to the song over and over again, and eventually it just struck me. I realized that my source of inspiration should feed off of what the doll herself was. Such personality was in her painted face and carefully sewn body. Like many things, I was reminded of brothel madames and ladies of the evening ("birds"). I drew from this, and created an dress that was semi-inspired by 19th century dresses, complete with a lace bodice and petticoat. The bodice is tied with a ribbon, and fastened with a vintage blue button that matches the bird in her hair. The dress is made from antique silk, that I acquired a long time ago. I think it's early 1900s-1920s.

Whenever I look at her, I wonder why is crying. Her expression is so soulful. Perhaps it will be someone else's task to write her story, and the origin of her tears, and the bird emerging from her heart.