Red is Best!

Working Woman #5, Acrylic on Paper, 8x10, 2003 by Ingrid Mida

I love red! And given that it is Valentine's Day today, it has to be the day to discuss red. Red is the colour of passion and life. Wear a red dress and you will be noticed!!!

In 2003-2004, I created a series of paintings of women wearing red dresses. I did not paint the heads or limbs to allow a woman to imagine herself wearing the dress. It was probably my most original idea and sold well at Wagner Rosenbaum Gallery and Arts on King. The prestigious Toronto law firm bought "Working Woman #5" for their art collection.

Red is a lucky colour for Chinese brides and was once a popular choice for European brides up until the 19th century. In Russian, the word "krasnoi" means both "red" and "beautiful". What a lovely way to sum up the power of red!!

Fashion is my Muse.

Since I was a little girl, I have been intruiged and fascinated by fashion. I started making clothes for my dolls and later made clothes for myself. Inspiration came to me from Vogue magazine and I saved babysitting money for fabric purchases. I can still recall my mother once adding up the cost of the huge stack of Vogue magazines in my bedroom and harshly criticizing me for "wasting" my money. I did my own fashion "illustrations" including the one above (scratched out at age 12).

To some people (like my mother), fashion is a frivilous affair. But to me, it is a tool allowing me to dress for the role I chose to play on any particular day (ie., goth princess, boho artist, glamourous socialite, plain vanilla mom, sexy secretary....). The whimsy and fragility of fashion is to me endlessly fascinating.

Fashion is my muse.