I recently came upon some old work I had made that never looked quite finished. Since I have done these pieces, I have gained new knowledge that is helping me to rework these pieces of art and make them into a completely new artwork that feels more complete. This particular piece is called, "Tree Ball Gown." The original ball gown was designed by fashion designer, Charles James in 1955. His client was Marietta Peabody Fitzgerald Tree and was named for her. The gown was designed to resemble the shape of a tree when uprooted. The original versions of this gown are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

My version of this piece started with a dry point etching with hand tinting. But then I added a surprise element to it, actual red fabric to show off the dress. The background had been left open and looked quite bare. So I have added a wonderful patterned paper and green and yellow inks to the background to tie the piece together.

If you would like to see some of the other pieces that I have reworked, please come by my studio on May 9th for our Second Saturday Open Studio Tour between 10am and 5pm.