What in women's fashion holds more power over "separates" and "layers" scarves over jackets over
blouses over camisoles over bras than the iconic dress? How many of us dream of the perfect dress, one that will hide our flaws and highlight our best features? Does anybody dream of the perfect pair of slacks, shirt or sweater?

I was lucky enough to have the perfect dress, MY perfect dress, given to me by my husband more than 20 years ago. It is a gorgeous, timeless (except for its thankfully removable shoulder pads), butter-yellow silk concoction from the designer Nicole Miller. It still hangs in my closet, waiting for yet another
reason to celebrate. In its younger days it travelled with me and on me all over Europe. I have never seen another quite like it.

So for most of this past year, I have left it hanging on the door of my studio. I have looked at it from every possible angle, and let it‚s soft, graceful lines and its imprinted dollops of brightly colored tiny paint tubes tickle my imagination. I have stretched the possibilities on canvas as much as I thought I could, but who knows if it is done?

The fact that the dress, this particular yellow dress, has inspired me to reference such a large number of concepts and emotions, is indeed a tribute to its impeccable design and engineering. Romance,
spiritualism, a garden, a muse. Christo's gates in Central Park, the fashion of the 1950s, jazz.
Supplication, design, color, theater and a lot more that I can remember.

So here is my dress, flattened onto canvas, for you to look at. How fortunate I am, to have received such a great gift. And knowing that it will be worn, and
possibly painted, yet again.

Please see one earlier painting, "Yellow Dress 1983," on my site. It's shown under Early Work.