By Resa McConaghy:
Having always been enchanted by the idea of fairies, I decided to make an Art Gowns Fairy!
She would look like the sun on rippling pink water, and her tail would be made of the leaves from the forest’s floor.
Her wings would fold up and down in many wondrous ways. She would be named after the Queen of the Fairies, “Titania.”
Titania, the very Fairy Queen penned by William Shakespeare circa 1596 in “A Midsummer’s Night Dream,” would be my most magic creation to date.
“Come my lord, and in our flight Tell me how it came this night ... That I sleeping here was found With these mortals on the ground.”
—AMSND, Act IV, Scene 1,1650
It’s interesting to note that three of my very favorite actresses have portrayed Titania: Helen Mirren, Judy Dench, and Michele Pfeiffer.
A few notes on “The Making of La Esencia de Titania”
It began with leftovers from another Art Gown.
I had cut a multitude of circles out of a white curtain sheer. I found the fabric in a bargain bin for $2.00/yard. At 120 inches wide, it was beyond a bargain.
The leftover fabric was scruffy, with a fairy airy and romantic feeling.
Using metallic bronze and copper acrylic paint mixed with fabric medium, the strings of scraps were painted.
The result was autumn leaves.
Still, the body needed to be a shimmering pool of pink water.
I couldn’t believe my luck! Why was this perfect, shimmering pink stretch of crushed velvet on sale for so little cash?
The question was answered when the fabric was unfolded. It’s one of those weird synthetic knit fabrics that curls up. It turned itself into a giant shimmering pink sausage!
Nonetheless, I had my way with it.
I recently bumped into this painting of Oberon, Titania, and Puck with fairies dancing by William Blake (1757–1827); I quite like it, as it is not a typical depiction of fairies. Well, that was Blake’s style—to be different.
Thank you for visiting another Art Gowns creation!
An established costume designer in film, television and digital media, Resa McConaghy has worked on productions for Showtime, ABC, Disney, CBS, CBC, Hallmark, and more.
Her mission: to enable the articulation of character through wardrobe.
Take a look at Resa's other Art Gowns: