A female figure wearing an expression of discovery stands in a sweet, dreamy environment gesturing with the apron of her storybook dress. The quickest way for me to feel story-book happy is to look at color or smell food; this piece was painted with candy-scented paints. Wonhee Ryu created the garment exploring happy moments and says, "The scent of flowers, and childhood bedtime stories take me to another fantasy." Model, Janet Mayer (Culture Hustle Potion scented acrylics)
Henry Marsh 2  watercolor/gouache on paper 12" x 16"
A grieving, isolated female figure glows up from a sea of green, a color sometimes associated with nature, healing, rebirth and life. It was painted from a Drawing Cabaret Couture life-drawing session modelled by Janet Mayer with Art Direction by Matthew Lawrence. The Henry Marsh fashion collection, ‘Cure For Sorrow’ references historical funeral wear and reflects on the process of decay evident in florals and utilizes the emotion of grief associated with death and loss as a basis for developing loose and padded forms, encompassing the figure in a state of comfort.
Spencer Carroll 1 watercolor/gouache on paper 12 x 16"
A duck-faced and precariously-perched posing female figure holds a garment of data as she bends backward into a swirling digital realm. Inspired by a Drawing Cabaret Couture life drawing session featuring fashions by Spencer Carroll, a London based fashion designer; modelled by Aisling Tara with Art Direction by Matthew Lawrence. This Digital Persona capsule collection examines the judgement of online personas situated in the context of social media's addictive power.
James Walsh watercolor/gouache on paper 16" x 12"
A female figure with a dissociated gaze wearing a cracked-egg sculptural headdress lies on her back surrounded by energetic flashes of light and assorted elements. Painted from life drawing session with Drawing Cabaret Couture featuring model/dancer Janet Mayer and sets/art direction by Matthew Lawrence. James Walsh collection is brought to life through a combination of objects and ideas that interested the designer throughout the past year. The majority of pieces are 3D printed and coated in a crisp layer of flocked velvet. He explains, ‘Whilst each piece could be viewed as a stand alone object or sculpture, the excitement for me comes from when it is being worn.
Christopher De la Cruz 1, 3, and 5  watercolor/gouache on paper 16" x 12"
Powerful figures push through the backgrounds to reveal fierce and beautiful strength and determination. These paintings were inspired by the gender-fluid fashion design of Christopher de la Cruz painted from a live drawing session presented by Drawing Cabaret Couture, featuring models, Estelle Digridi and Janet Mayer with Art Direction and set design by Matthew Lawrence. Christopher says, “It’s okay for a man to feel pretty and a woman to feel empowered. In history, the women were taken out of the corset and were exposed to pants, suits and dresses which allowed them to breathe; all while men still wore their suits. Therefore, there can't be change if only one side is changed”.
Cherie Chun 2 watercolor and gouache on paper 12 x 16"
A maternal figure with a thoughtful expression sits wrapped in a wide colorful garment filled with nature. Posed in the act of creation as if playing an instrument, she touches a long strand of ultramarine beads. The fabric drapes and falls like a robe from her cold shoulder. The mood is hopeful and the brush strokes are visible, loose and expressive with movement and lyrical notations painted into an abstract ground. Inspired by Cherie Chun, a next-gen fashion designer embracing sustainability in fashion this work was painted from a live drawing session presented by Drawing Cabaret Couture, featuring model, Janet Mayer with Art Direction and set design by Matthew Lawrence.
Ella Davies 2 Watercolor on Paper 12" x 16"
Created gently to invoke the feel of aged statuary, a contemplative figure emerges softly from splashes of light color. It was inspired by a life-drawing session with Drawing Cabaret Couture featuring model, Janet Mayer with sets and art direction by Matthew Lawrence and fashions by Ella Davies who created a 4-piece collection after visiting the Ross fountain in Edinburgh Scotland. The collection of sculptural garments honor the mythological Aloja featured in Ross Fountain. Aloja are dreamily-beautiful feminine beings found within Catalan mythology. These water-women live near fresh water and are believed to have hypnotic voices with life-giving powers and the ability to shapeshift, becoming water blackbirds. Some say an Aloja can boil water with anger. The shapes of the garments in this collection are extracted from ancient fertility symbols.
Zita Tan 3 mixed media on paper 12" x 16" 
An abstracted figure clothed in armor with whip-like feather tendrils marches purposefully through an earthy wilderness. This artwork examines fierce strength born of darkness. The original was created in watercolor and pastels from a Drawing Cabaret Couture life drawing session featuring the "Texture of Emotions" fashion collection of Zita Tan who was inspired by artist, Doris Salcedo. Modeled by Janet Mayer, the collection explores pain and stress, revealing invisible emotions in response to the anesthetization of pain. Zita used painting and feathers to represent hurting memories as boning on the final garments revealing the power of the fragile imperfect things.
Zita Tan 2 mixed media on paper 16" x 12" 
​An abstracted female figure emerges from a swirl of organic materials. She is clothed in a suit made of elements/nature and stares forward with a hypnotic gaze, transfixed. This artwork expresses the ways in which darkness can be used for transformation. The original was created from a Drawing Cabaret Couture life drawing session featuring the "Texture of Emotions" fashion collection of Zita Tan who was inspired by artist, Doris Salcedo. Modeled by Janet Mayer, the collection explores pain and stress, revealing invisible emotions in response to the anesthetization of pain. Zita used painting and feathers to represent hurting memories and to replace the boning on the final garments revealing the power of the fragile imperfect things.
Zita Tan 1 mixed media on paper 12" x 16" 
A royal figure peeks through 1 eye at swirls of organic mayhem and fear. They battle with their beauty wearing armor and wielding a glowing floral saber and sash. This artwork celebrates the way broken pieces sometimes heal even stronger and explores the ways in which light and darkness work together to reveal reality. It was created from a DrawingCabaret Couture life drawing session featuring the "Texture of Emotions" fashion collection of Zita Tan who was inspired by artist, Doris Salcedo. Modelled by Jordana Rev, the collection explores pain and stress, revealing invisible emotions in response to the anesthetization of pain. Zita used painting and feathers to represent hurting memories; and to replace the boning on the final garments revealing the power of the fragile imperfect things.
Gregory Ojakpe Revisited 12" x 16" mixed media on paper (and 1 print on velvet, mounted on canvas 18" x 24")
A female figure observes and examines the environment while floating in a sea of activity. Inspired to create this work from a life-drawing session featuring the fashions of Gregory Ojakpe who created a biomorphic series inspired by surrealists, Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy and sculptor, Barbra Hepworth. Philip Barrio’s book “The Role of Biomorphic Shapes in Abstract Art” describes surrealism as the “ultimate manifestation of biomorphism” because it relies on true automatism and perfect expression of freedom and unforeseeable novelty. For this artwork (and for my abstract portraits), I start with an automatic watercolor painting, using no reference, listening to my inner voice, trusting my instincts and letting the paint flow where it wants. Later, I choose a pose from the session that "feels good" and inspires me. Finally, I combine the two, creating an image into and over the painted ground. It amazes me that the images always work and fit together (almost to the pixel) reinforcing the idea that everything is connected. 
Post Nature Sea Project (cropped from 12" x 16") mixed media on paper
This work began with reference from a life-drawing session modeled by Janet Mayer and featuring the work of Jiaxi Wang and Tasnim Chowdhury who created a fashion series imagining humans adapting animal life forms in the last century of mankind.  Inspired by the idea of accepting comfort during change, I tried to capture the feeling of being underwater; wobbly and ungrounded, yet unconcerned with fighting the current or coming up for air. Drawing parallels between pandemic life and the unpredictable nature of the sea, the figure represents my experience observing the world evolve during the strange days of my own last century.