As luck would have it, in 2002 when I moved to Bucks County Pennsylvania, I soon discovered that my neighbor Antony Townsend, operates a wonderful Costume business right there in his 3 story Bank Barn. For decades, Tony has provided costumes to shows on Broadway, ballet companies, local theatrical productions, as well as USO tours in support of America's troops.
I wandered next door yesterday in search of a blouse or fabric that I could use to create a visual for a commissioned painting I'm currently working on. The painting is of a client’s mother when she was younger, and is based on photographs taken from an 8mm film. The film was converted to DVD, and stills captured and printed from the DVD. The resolution from the original 8mm film is very poor, making it a challenge to determine what the tone of her skin really was and the true color of her hair etc. The blouse she was wearing was a beautiful blue but the fabric was rather stiff and as I was painting it, it seemed to take away from the beauty and soft features of her face. I had a look at Tony’s costumes and found a blouse that is made of fabric that is softer, a bit more sheer that compliments her and the overall composition.
Thank you Tony for your help!
