Category: Art Gowns Art

The Sad Café II

On By ResaIn Art Gown Muses, Art Gowns Art338 Comments

Featuring poetry by Holly Rene Hunter

& Allegorical Drawings by Resa

There is music. The cafe is filled with revellers. Their drunken laughter is loud, but the seasons slip away, and they need something to remember.

A year has passed, and I still light my candles for the window and hope fades like summer into fall.
The mirror has no mercy, a reminder of all that has passed through these hands. There is no holding back the past or what lies ahead.

The night deepens as we raise our glasses to the seasons of honey and fire and the aching memory of lovers slipped away.

Snakes and Metaphors

suspended

At the top of the stairs the hours pass hurriedly, lovers flee the break of dawn.  Subdued seduction , silhouettes in flickering candlelight.

In black tie and silk gowns, the bourgeoisie sip cognac , exhale circlets of smoke from cigarillos into the softly whirring blades of a bamboo fan.

The walls are thin and the wood floor is bare. Music drifts upward, slips under my door, “La Vie En Rose”, the sighs of desperate lovers , their bodies pressed against one another. 

At my mirror I braid silver thread through my hair. Should the Frenchman return I am wearing the dress he likes. Last night he signaled with a stone at my window . 

He has taught me how to say I love you and other endearing terms in his tongue. 
At the hollow of my throat I dab a bit of the perfume he bought for me in Berlin. I’m not sure that is true but I like the scent.

He wants me to follow him but he is not my kind. The weak can not survive love that is bound to die nor can they forgive.

All Poetry © Holly Rene Hunter – Visit House of Heart to read more of her fabulous poetry!

All drawings © Resa McConaghy

Thank You!

Holly for contributing your luscious poems to this collaboration & to Gigi for being the hallway model (where the music notation is actually the first 5 bars to La Vie en Rose).

The Sad Café

On By ResaIn Art Gowns Art, Co-Production182 Comments

The lush visuals and vivid sensations created by “House of Heart” ‘s  Sad Café  series have captivated me. One night, while listening to live music, I began drawing from my mind’s eye album. Holly picked prose & poems to go with the drawings.

I’m awakened by far off laughter drifting through the window of my flat above the Café. From there I can see the cobblestone streets filling with nighttime partiers dodging snow drifts piling along the curbside. My watch reads ten o’clock. Sinking slowly into a warm bath I rinse the scent of smoke from my hair with lavender soap. My skin smells of yesterday’s perfume mingled with the haunting presence of strong cologne and the sweet scent of sweat and rope. At the mirror I brush my hair and pull it back with a silver plated comb, slip into smoky seamed stockings and a clingy black frock. Making my way past the crowded bar I slide into my usual booth at the dark fringe of a deserted corner. I order a glass of red wine and wait.

The room is stifling with

deflowered souls.

The sad café tends its ghosts

but we are more than grateful to forget.

There are no secrets among these

desolate lovers disfigured by life.

We inhale circlets of smoke

that linger in the air and taste lips

dripping desire.

The night arches its back

to drunken angels so we dance

below stars that meet us halfway.

I’ve been here forever

hidden in fantasies,

dimly lit rooms where

moonbeams caper blithely

on the river Seine.

All of my memories are strangers

that come and go.

I want them to know

the smokey purple of lunar tides,

the bittersweet of Rose red.

They linger beneath lamp lit streets,

shadows on tiger paws.

I remember you

beside that serpentine

river of eels and smoke and lovers.

Your secrets held captive

inside a closed heart,

coaxing stars pressed

up against the sky.

Do you think of me?

I am still here where walls

ring with silvery mirth.

I am your souvenir,

a shadow of a woman

in rhinestone heels

A street light blinks off and on. At the window a moth relentlessly scours its edges in search of a way out.

Parting a juicy plum I lick the nectar from my fingers. Like sweet memories the pulp is delicious on my tongue. Beating its wing’s against the glass the moth falls exhausted to the sill, like my eyes.

I remember you. The sun slipping through your teeth. The ghosts of lovers, like birds, peering from behind your eyes, flaying their wings unable to escape.

Drawings © Resa McConaghy

Poetry & Prose © Holly Rene Hunter

A Tangle of Sunflowers

On By ResaIn Art Gowns Art, Tribute116 Comments

Dahlings I love you all more than ever! It is with a heavy heart that I have postponed tonight’s fashion show. Instead, Art Gowns offers a Protest Post against all war anywhere, anytime.

The Sunflowers and colours are for Ukraine, and all its people fleeing, dying and defending. AGM Holly has written a special poem.

Thank you, Rene! I’m honoured to be here, and join in this protest.

“Hello, Art Director R. Budd here. We had a mind blowing show ready to go, then this beyond horrid war materialized. So, instead of the catwalk, the AGMs are out on the sidewalk protesting. PBH is MIA. There are reports that she has been spotted in Poland.”

“AGMs Dale and Gigi are working the protests in N. America.”

“AGMs Marina and Shey are working the lines in Europe.”

Peace and love! I’m Boogapony Holly. Ms. Rosso has asked me here tonight to present a song of my choice to protest war. After all, I am GLAM’s poster child whose spirit resides in the 60’s and early 70’s.

I’ve chosen Edwin Starr’s song “War”, performed by Bruce Springsteen. You tell me what is most powerful; the preamble & end shot, the song itself or the performance?

Boogapony and Rene Rosso characters © Resa McConaghy & Holly Rene Hunter

Since January 2018

You can visit the AGMs on their blogs: Holly – House of Heart, Dale – A Dalectable Life, Shehanne – Smexy Historical Romance, Gigi – Rethinking Life, Marina – Art Towards a Happy Day

All photos of Sunflowers generously provided by ©  Timothy Price – Off Center Not Even

Visit Rebecca Budd on one of her many blogs. Better yet, check out her podcasts on Tea Toast and Trivia While there you can find links to her other fab blogs!

Working Spy 300

What Suits Art Gowns?

On By ResaIn Art Gowns Art130 Comments

Darlings! Rene Rosso here, in a suit! Can you believe it?

However, it’s an Art Gowns suit. So when Holly and Resa asked me to host this post, I said “okay!” Still, how did this happen? Well, there was no multi-medium paper at the art store. Resa had to buy a sketch pad.

 It’s been awhile since Resa just pencil sketched. She was excited to rise to the occasion, & started with Shehanne Moore in a Town Suit, very 1980’s come 1930’s.

Then it was GiGi’s turn to model this ultra-uber, never seen before style. No one can wear an imaginary time unknown suit like Gi! (Above)

Craving some colour, Resa added ballpoint pen and turquoise ink pen bows. There was no way I was going to wear a suit with bows! Holly had no choice but to model it.

The musicians were going wild downstairs when Resa came up with a Crazy Free Style Art tulle skirted suit for Marina Kanavaki. Having a colour meltdown, Resa went nuts with felt pens. They soaked through 3 pages of paper, and she had to iron the sketch.

Resa should have drawn me in the above suit. DARN!

This Art Gowns Suit is more like it. Now, I can work on the next song being added to my repertoire “Sweet Love”. I’ve been very inspired listening to Anita Baker sing it.

Their names are hot in the descriptions under the suits they have modelled. They all have fab blogs to visit.

Rene Rosso Character © Resa McConaghy & Holly Rene Hunter

Mermaid Holly will be hosting the next Art Gowns post. It’s a feature on Art Gowns Mermaids with surprise guest Mermaids. Don’t miss out!

Eye’ll see you there!

Cecilia Lionheart & Wild Rose

On By ResaIn Art Gowns Art123 Comments

Cecilia Lionheart & Wild Rose are Art Gowns inspired by Mother Nature.

In a continued endeavour to draw all of the Art Gowns, I decided to team up these two gowns. They represent my thoughts & feelings on the beauty and horror existing in our world.

Holly – House of Heart models Wild Rose in the sketch. This is the second Art Gown, that Holly has modelled in a drawing.

She has honoured us with this poem, expressing the beauty of a Wild Rose. Click on the body of the poem, and visit her blog.

I wonder what will happen to Wild Roses and other flora & fauna, as Climate Change alters our planet?

Cecilia Lionheart expresses the horror, the evil of murdering beauty.

The post was a tribute to Cecil the Lion. Cecil was was a proud and handsome creature of earth. Protected, living in a national park, he strayed one day. Walter Palmer hit him with an arrow, then hunted the poor thing down for 11 hours, then slew him with a bullet. It was all for a trophy.

I dedicated that post to Marina Kanavaki, a devoted animal activist. In the sketch she models Cecilia Lionheart for us.  

Marina drew this wonderful poster for this post. We are so honoured. Click on the poster, and visit Marina’s blog.

There are now 7 Art Gowns sketched out. They are all in the slideshow.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 Wild Rose & Cecilia Lionheart © Resa McConaghy

Wild Rose (poem) © Holly Rene Hunter

Really People? Trophy Hunting? © Marina Kanavaki

You can visit the Art Gowns posts Cecilia Lionheart & Wild Rose by scrolling down the sidebar, finding each girls pic, and clicking on it.

I’ve just begun my 24th ArtGown. They take 3-6 months, depending. She is inspired by the Tango, and will be dedicated to Holly.

In the meantime, there will be a few more Art Gowns Art posts.

B’eye B’eye for now!

The Black Dress

On By ResaIn Art Gowns Art97 Comments

Art Gowns Art presents a collection of black dresses.

The collection is inspired by this poem penned by Leonard Durso, and all my fave models from blog land. Click on the poem, and see it on Leonard’s blog. Have a visit and follow while you’re there!

The opening design and dress below are modelled by Holly from House of Heart.

Georgiann from Rethinking Life models the dress below.

Georgiann introduced me to water colour crayons, which is the predominant medium in this series.

Above is Marina Kanavaki from Art Towards a Happy Day.

For the finale, here above is Aquileana.

Art Gowns Art Black Dresses © Resa McConaghy

2019

🌟 Big Thank You to Leonard for permitting me to use his poem! 🌟

I enjoy all of the creative writing on Leonard’s blog. Some pieces are his originals, others are a glorious find he shares.

You can check out the several books he’s written by clicking on the cover of “Rizzo’s World” and going to his Amazon page. Or you can visit Leonard on his blog, just click on the poem.

 

All drawings have been done to live music.

🌹💙🌹 Sincere Thank You to all the models. 🌹💙🌹

OUTTAKES

The musicians were going all out when I tried another Holly dress.

I super love this portrait I did of Gigi.

 

Art Gowns Art Styles

On By ResaIn Art Gowns Art107 Comments

Last time in Art Gowns Art, I expressed a desire to expand my style & ability.

Above is a an attempt at drawing a black model.

Then I felt like my drawings were stiff, so I began this Crazy Free Art to Music. There would be no belabouring, no erasing, no starting over. It’s just go, with the flow of the music.

The idea was to loosen up. It turns out some around me like the new approach better.

I also expressed that I wanted to illustrate all of my Art Gowns. Below is Natascha in O Royal Treasure.  O Royal Treasure was  dedicated to Ralph and Natascha for their wedding.

For O Royal Treasure, I tried a combination of my formal style w/the free style. Painting white on white is still very illusive to me. Just another thing Fashion illustration never taught me.

 

 

 

 

O Royal Treasure joins the gallery, which now stands at five: Flora Blanca, Mnemosyne, Artemis by Moonlight, Lady Anne & O Royal Treasure.

Art Gowns & Art Gowns Art © Resa McConaghy

Art Gowns Photography © Resa McConaghy

I found an old sketch in my archives, that I remember fondly. It was done for an interview to design the costumes for A House Divided, a Showtime Feature.

I belaboured for days over this sketch. The massive amounts of erasing at the tail exposes the fact. I got the job, in spite of my eraser!

♥️🎨 ♥️

Art Gowns Gallery Project

On By ResaIn Art Gowns Art116 Comments

Where can I take the Art Gowns?

{Painted canvases are atop, the original pics are below.}

It would take someone savvy to wear an Art Gown. Fact is, some of the back tails are 7′ long. There can be side tails and front tails. Of course, I can tame tails for a fashion show.

 Well, I had 10 of the photos I took for their blog printed on canvas. Then, using iridescent acrylic paint, I high-lit,  filled and/or embellished the canvas.

Of course, with the iridescent paint, one needs to view the paintings from certain angles in various lightings.

I have done 10 paintings in this “Art Gowns Iridescent” collection.

I entered them in an art show, but have never heard anything back. Friends say I am too, niche, more unique than they can sell.

 I’ll be doing a second 10 piece collection. The chosen Art Gowns will be printed in black and white. Strong colours will be abstractly influenced.

Anyway, good chance of getting in a show in about a year, and I will have 2-10 piece collections.

For now, here are 5 of the 10 canvases I have done. The iridescent quality is insanely difficult to capture. Did my best. I’ll post the other 5 later.

Below, “Art Gowns Iridescent” pieces are side by side. The original is on the left. The canvas print with iridescent paint is on the right.

Can you see the difference?

MYSTIC LAKE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LA ESENCIA DE TITANIA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AUTUMN ORCHID

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ATHENA GRAFFITI GODDESS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MNEMOSYNE

(The only Art Gown piece unreasonable to display side by side)

Art Gowns & all Art Gowns Art © Resa McConaghy

2014 -2019

A new Art Gown has been started. I’m thinking 3 months, unless ……

Art Gowns Dazzle the Runway at the Coop

On By ResaIn Art Gowns Art, Art Gowns Guests120 Comments

✨✨ The runway was aglitter with the glamour of the Art Gowns modelled by some of the Coop’s most gorgeous Chicklets. ✨✨

“Good evening! My name is VIRGINIA, and I had the honour of being first onto the runway begowned in Empress D’Amore“

“Off the top, I’d like to thank the original Empress D’Amore for being here with me tonight. Together the Empress and I will be discussing the highlights of the Hallowe’en Fashion Show at the Coop.”

“Thank you, Empress!”

Hello Virginia, and the pleasure is all mine! Let me just say, in my most humble opinion, that yours was the most regal Art Gown in the show!

“I won’t argue that! Now, on with the show!”

Presenting: MIA in Mystic Lake

“So Empress, what can you tell the folks at home about Mystic Lake?

Well, Virginia, she was inspired by ducks, specifically a ceramic duck created by  Belén Soto

“So, are those feathers I see?”

They are faux feathers made from hours and hours of hand shredding an over-dyed cotton gauze.

“Fascinating”

Presenting: INA in Athena ⭐️Graffiti Goddess⭐️

“Do my eyes deceive me? Is this Art Gown entirely hand painted?”

Yes, Virginia! She took 6 months to paint. She is covered in Tarot and Astrology symbols that relate to the Goddess Athena.

“I supposed Aquileana helped Resa with that.”

It is Obvious, isn’t it!

Presenting: LACY in Mnemosyne

“Ah, Mnemosyne, mother of The Nine Muses.”

That’s right, Virginia! A statuesque beauty in anyones books.

“So does Aquileana help Resa with all of the Goddesses?”

So far, yes. According to Resa, she is very inspired to make Goddess Art Gowns.

 

Presenting: ISABELLE in Tenesa

“Hmm, how did this …erm.. gown get into the world of Art Gowns?”

Don’t be too, harsh on her. She really is quite modern, in a street way. She’s an alley rescue, you know.

“From the alley?”

Yes, Resa insisted on making her an Honorary Art Gown. One day it’s a cat rescued from the alley, the next day it’s a rescued gown.

 

  ⭐️ 💥 ⭐️ BEHIND THE SCENES ⭐️ 💥 ⭐️

” Last week, The Empress and I got a special behind the scenes peek.”

Virginia, it was a thrill to see the skilled & talented Chicklets working the art.

“Let’s take it away!”

IRIS – Working on Lady Anne

“Well, she’s a wild one! Kind of rock and roll.”

Some say steam punk, others say she’s a biker gown.

“She appears to be all leather & lace.”

It’s up-cycled leather, from Resa’s boyfriend’s old leather coat and pants.

“She looks familiar?”

Yes, Holly modelled this Art Gown for one of Resa’s sketches, recently.

LOIS & LILY pinning the flowers on Flora Blanca

“Flora Blanca seems to be one of the more popular Art Gowns.”

True, she is quite the refined Art Gown, made for Resa’s niece, Sherrie, and you know, people love flowers!

“Where can the fans see more of Flora Blanca and the other Art Gowns?”

All one has to do is scroll down the Art Gowns sidebar. When you find the gown you love, just click on it. It will take you to the original post.

Well, Empress, it’s been a wonderful evening!” 💖

Yes it has, Virginia! I’m hoping we get to host another event very soon. Perhaps, a Red Carpet!💖

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

All © Art Gowns are designed, made & photographed by:

Resa McConaghy 2013 – 2018

All Chicklets art © Georgiann Carlson

🌹🌹🌹THANK YOU, GEORGIANN🌹🌹🌹