Wedding scraps

For this project, I wanted to create a self-portrait that connects me to my mom. She has greatly inspired the person I aspire to be. I aimed to illustrate her profound influence on my creativity by wearing what I believe to be part of her legacy: her wedding dress.

I started by taking a photograph of myself in her dress to use as a reference. Then, I began my watercolor painting, which I planned to enhance with a fabric collage and textured paper. I incorporated small pieces of the dress's lining into the collage.

I initially struggled with how to integrate fabric into the painting. Simply placing fabric along the border didn't feel sufficient. Therefore, I used a mesh cheesecloth that I had previously used in the kitchen to strain bone broth with my mom. I placed it over the entire piece and sewed it along the sides.