5.12.2008

a little van gogh inspiration



When Melissa made that gorgeous Cecilia Beaux-inspired dress earlier this spring, I could not stop thinking about the dress and the concept. Melissa and I talked on the phone for a long time about all of the amazing paintings that would be so fun and challenging to try and translate into small clothes - the colors, the textures of the brush strokes, the lines. The possibilities and inspiration are endless. Here is my first attempt with a little gem of a painting by Vincent Van Gogh that I find myself coming back to again and again. It's called "Sprig of Flowering Almond in a Glass,", painted in 1888 while Van Gogh was living in Arles. It was a gift for his brother Theo and sister-in-law Johanna and they hung it above their bed. When I was working on this dress I was trying to catch some of the freshness of a little cup with a flower in it, and also the vertical brush strokes. (Incidentally there is a great book about Van Gogh for children that is part of a series called Smart About Art, available on Amazon for $5.99 each. My kids LOVE it. They are really fascinated about why he would ever cut off his ear. Me too.)

On that note, I hope you had a great mother's day! I feel so blessed to have been raised by a wonderful, loving, creative mother whom I reference every day, all day in my own mothering. And now I am blessed with the best husband, who makes my every day great, and hilarious sweet sometimes very strange children. I am so lucky...

36 comments:

Joslyn said...

oh i just love the idea of translating paintings until little dresses...so romantic and unique.

love this dress and the little yellow sash -- such a nice interpretation.

happy mother's day ladies!

Rebecca Ramsey said...

What a beautiful dress. I think it's perfect for your little flower!
Becky

Bethany said...

Beautifully done! And your daughter looks like the flower in the vase! I just love the concept of translating paintings into clothing...LOVE! I'm glad to hear we may be seeing more of this. I had never seen this little painting but it is beautiful. Oh to paint like that!

Anonymous said...

Stunning as usual!
I always get so excited to see "Sugar City Journal" appear on my Bloglines. It is always the first blog of the list that I go to.

Grosgrain said...

I love white this time of year especially offset by a beautiful yellow sash. I bet the pleats were a headache but worth it. My favorite part is the unfinished hem. Very summer beachy feel! Nice touch.

Liesl Gibson said...

Really lovely!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely stunning and inspiring! Well done.

Art Nest said...

What a great way to spice up the sometimes overwhelming task of deciding what to sew next!
Wonderful job on the interpretation.

Lauren said...

LOVE this dress - especially the contrast of the white fabric with the gold sash. BTW your kids might like to know that Vangogh went crazy because he had too much contact with the paints he used - they were toxic.

(you could apply this generally to a lot of other things)

I also echo your shout out to mom - she is the best!!

Anonymous said...

That dress is literally breathtaking. I actually gasped when I saw it. LOVELY.

lera said...

Love the dress. Great detail with the pintucks and sash. Absolutely stunning.

Dawn Elizableth said...

The dress is beautiful. Simply beautiful!

Gail T. said...

wow, such a pretty interpretation. i look forward to future results of the idea of painting inspired clothes.

when i saw this entry on my Google Reader, I just had to share it. Thanks for the burst of sunshine.

TeamMcDonough said...

Another masterpiece both dress and picture.

Anonymous said...

Love the white and yellow sash! Do you design all of the dresses yourself, or do you use patterns for inspiration? Whatever the answer, your work really is lovely!

Antoinette said...

Wonderful interpretation! Sweet little dress.

Anonymous said...

Just beautiful! I love the way you interpreted the painting.

sew nancy said...

how sweet
your daughter looks lovely in it as well
i love this concept you two have been working on

Anonymous said...

Absolutely gorgeous!

Kathryn said...

Adorable - and so light and airy - just like the picture. Perfect for spring. Baby A is priceless in it. Mothering continues to the grave - it just molts and changes.

Stacy said...

the dress is beautiful.

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous little dress! So inspiring! I love the tip on the art books as well -- will definitely check those out!

Audrey and the Boys said...

So sweet Lynne. I love the translation of the vertical lines into pintucks. The photo captures the softness of the painting too. Well done!

melissa said...

Oh my goodness Lynne. That dress is so amazingly beautiful! It takes my breath away: your description, the photo, the brush strokes and soft colors. You've really captured the painting in such a fresh and beautiful way.

melissa said...

Oh yes, and I'm completely inspired by the orange belt that corresponds with the orange horizontal line in the painting.

Anonymous said...

This is a beatiful dress, it looks fantastic.I love the colors and the idea.
As far as Van Gogh and his ear.....I read somewhere that the chemicals in the paints used in those days were believed to have caused brain damage. Supposedly, this is why so many artists were considered "crazy". Also, the chemicals Milliners (sp?) used were toxic as well, hence the phrase "Mad as a hatter"

Anonymous said...

Absolutely love it...so crisp! I love hearing about your inspirations.

Sabina said...

I love that concept. Wonderful interpretation!!

#A5 said...

ok, that belt is just perfect for that crisp white dress in every way. gorgeous again!

melissa said...

I must say Lynne. I've been thinking about this dress for days, ever since I first saw it. It really is so beautiful.

Kari said...

Lynne, this is the sweetest little dress. I love this concept too. I'm thinking something by Cezanne...

Stephanie said...

Absolutely gorgeous Lynne! And I don't say that just because I was an Art History major and completely love Van Gogh. This little painting is a true gem. The sash and pleating are perfect. This concept you two conjured up is clever indeed.

naomi said...

so simple, but so beautiful...the yellow makes it so lovely. You ladies do such amazing dresses. I am inspired!

Anonymous said...

I also like the "Touch the Art" board book series for very young children. Great blog! Anne Marie in IA

Lissa said...

How I love this idea and this little dress!!! YOU MUST, absolutely must start selling patterns!!!! I've been trying to just "make" stuff for my little girl, and she can wear it... but it does not turn out so fetching... perhaps I need a little more artistic influence.

Unknown said...

Sew it in tiny stitches just near the top of the Hogan , but take care not to sew into the vamp elastic. Keep your stitches neat and tidy but invisible from the outside of the Hogan scarpe uomo , and make your beginning and ending knots inside the Hogan uomo .