Kiki's Old Soul Dress

I fell in love with the Roman glass from Israel and was inspired to create this dress.

Ingredients: abaca fibre, Roman glass, Peacock feathers, enameled copper wire, acrylic paint

Life size

AVAILABLE - Please contact artist for pricing or to commission a dress inspired by this one.

Portion of Back of Kiki’s Old Soul Dress

Front of Kiki’s Old Soul Dress

Back of Kiki’s Old Soul Dress

Portion of Skirt of Kiki's Old Soul Dress

Kiki's Social Distancing Dress

She’s beautiful but dangerous . . .

Ingredients: abaca fibre, porcupine quills, bone and wood beads, Swarovski crystal, smokey quartz points, enamel covered copper wire

Life Size

AVAILABLE - Please contact artist for pricing or to commission a dress inspired by this one.

Back of Kiki’s Social Distancing Dress

Front of Kiki’s Social Distancing Dress

Kiki’s Social Distancing Dress with Wood Stand

Detail of Skirt of Kiki’s Social Distancing Dress

Detail of Bodice of Kiki’s Social Distancing Dress

Portion of Bodice of Kiki’s Social Distancing Dress

Fergi's Social Distancing Dress

Time is elastic during lock-down.

Ingredients: abaca fibre, antique watch, windowpane oyster shells, horseshoe nails, glass fruit, iron rod, steel wire, steel chain, acrylic paint

Life-size

AVAILABLE - Please contact artist for pricing or to commission a dress inspired by this one.

Front of Fergi’s Social Distancing Dress

Fergi’s Social Distancing Dress with Metal Stand

Detail of Bodice of Kiki’s Social Distancing Dress

Detail of Skirt of Kiki’s Social Distancing Dress

Kiki’s Renewal Dress

Sometimes, we need a reset, a fresh start . . .

Ingredients: Abaca fibre, sparrow nest, opalescent egg, willow sticks, wild flowers (of your choice), satin ribbon, copper wire, chicken wire, acrylic paint

Life size

AVAILABLE - Please contact artist for pricing or to commission a dress inspired by this one.

Detail of Back of Kiki’s Renewal Dress

Front of Kiki’s Renewal Dress on Wood Stand

Back of Kiki’s Renewal Dress on Wood Stand

Portion of Kiki’s Renewal Dress

Making “Kiki’s Renewal Dress"

(1) applying wet pulp to an armature; (2) cutting the dried dress off; (3) applying gesso to the inside of the dress before painting

"Kiki’s Armored Kimono"

“Not a warrior princess, but a soldier of love…”

Portion of poem © Karen Stuth 2022

Ingredients: copper, brass, abaca fibre, agate slice, paint

AVAILABLE - Please contact artist for pricing or to commission a dress inspired by this one.

Detail of front of “Kiki’s Armored Kimono”

Front of “Kiki’s Armored Kimono"

Sideview of “Kiki’s Armored Kimono"

Back of “Kiki’s Armored Kimono"

Closer view of back of “Kiki’s Armored Kimono"

Detail of back of “Kiki’s Armored Kimono"

Kiki's Walk In the Woods Dress

She was walking in the woods, when the wind . . .

Ingredients: abaca fibre, green kyanite, chrysocolla beads, enameled copper wire, copper grommets, velvet cord, acrylic paint, resin

Life size

AVAILABLE - Please contact artist for pricing or to commission a dress inspired by this one.

Front Bodice of Kiki’s Walk In the Woods Dress

Front of Kiki’s Walk In the Woods Dress

Back of Kiki’s Walk In the Woods Dress

Detail of Bead Work

Detail of Skirt

Front of Kiki’s Walk In the Woods Dress on Wood Stand

“Liminal"

Between black and white

peering through cracks in clarity

there is a gray mist

shielding

creatures of myths

magical beauty and

forbidden dreams

Ingredients: Perforated Steel, abaca fibre, paint, acrylic

AVAILABLE - Please contact artist for pricing or to commission a dress inspired by this one.

Side view of “Between Black and White"

Front of “Between Black and White"

Side view of “Between Black and White"

Kiki's Celebration Dress

When it’s over, we will celebrate.

Ingredients: abaca fibre, nickel-silver wire, aluminum grommets, acrylic paint

Life size

AVAILABLE - Please contact artist for pricing or to commission a dress inspired by this one.

Front of Kiki’s Celebration Dress

Kiki’s Celebration Dress with Metal Stand

Side of Kiki’s Celebration Dress

Detail of Skirt from Kiki’s Celebration Dress

"Kiki's Kinsugi Dress"

Kintsugi is the art of precious scars. In Japanese, the word translates to “golden repair.” When a ceramic vase or teapot breaks it is repaired with lacquer and gold dust. The breaks and cracks are enhanced, adding value to the broken object.

Ingredients: abaca fibre, freshwater pearls, brass wire, resin, acrylic paint

Life size

AVAILABLE - Please contact artist for pricing or to commission a dress inspired by this one.

Front of Kiki’s Kintsugi Dress

Making the bodice in my studio

Kiki’s Kintsugi Dress on Acrylic Stand

A portion of the skirt

"Kiki's Seeds of Gold Dress"

Kiki sows seeds of spiritual gold.

This dress is painted with interference gold, so that it shimmers as you walk by (can't see this in a photograph).

Ingredients: Abaca fibre, brass wire (hand-woven), aspen branch, acrylic paint

Life-size: 45" diameter x 48" tall (dress only)

AVAILABLE - Please contact the artist for pricing or to commission a piece inspired by this one.

"Kiki's Seeds of Gold Dress"

Portion of "Kiki's Seeds of Gold Dress"

"Kiki's Cobweb Dress"

Spiders are my spirit animal - they weave a creative web with patience and purpose.

Life-size: 20" diameter x 35" tall

Ingredients: Silver-nickel wire, abaca fibre

Contact artist for availability and pricing.

"Kiki's Cobweb Dress" - 3/4 view

"Kiki's Cobweb Dress" - right side view

"Kiki's Cobweb Dress" - left side view

"Kiki's Cobweb Dress" - back view

"Kiki's Cobweb Dress" - detail

"Kiki's Willow Dress"

I love willow trees for their grace and protection. It is as beautiful at night (if not more so) as during the day.

Life-size: 18" diameter x 28" tall (without lamp)

Ingredients: abaca fibre pulp, copper & gold metal leaf, gold paint

Contact artist for availability and pricing.

"Kiki's Willow Dress" -3/4 view back

"Kiki's Willow Dress" - right side

"Kiki's Willow Dress" -3/4 view front

"Kiki's Willow Dress" - front

"Kiki's Aspen Dress" - front

"Kiki's Aspen Dress"

Aspens are my favorite trees. I love the fluttering sound of their leaves in a breeze. I appreciate how the unseen roots of individual trees connect, creating a family of trees.

Life-size: 40" diameter x 40" tall (not including stand)

Ingredients: Japanese paper, acrylic medium, brass wire, jump rings

There are approximately 800 leaves in Kiki's dress. Each leaf is hand cut and assembled, taking about 7 -12 minutes per leaf, depending on the size of the leaf.

AVAILABLE - Please contact artist for pricing or to commission a dress inspired by this one.

"Kiki's Aspen Dress" - front

"Kiki's Aspen Dress" - back

"Kiki's Aspen Dress" - portion

"Kiki's Aspen Dress" - detail

"Kiki's Crumb Catcher Dress"

Fashion is fun. "Crumb catcher" necklines are popular in wedding dresses. But, my stylish mother wore these dresses in the 1940 - 50's.

Life-size: 21" diameter x 28" tall

Ingredients: abaca fibre, red pigment, acrylic paint and medium, feather boa

Contact artist for availability and pricing.

"Kiki's Crumb Catcher Dress" - front

"Kiki' Crumb Catcher Dress" - right side

"Kiki's Crumb Catcher Dress" - left side

"Kiki's Crumb Catcher Dress" - back

"Kiki's Crumb Catcher Dress" - detail

"Kiki's Lock & Keys Dress"

Peek inside the key hole, and you will see . . .

Ingredients: abaca fibre, chicken wire, antique & vintage keys & key hole, pyrite, acrylic paint

Life size: 24" diameter x 36" tall

AVAILABLE - Contact artist for availability and pricing.

"Kiki's Lock & Keys Dress" - front

"Kiki's Lock & Keys Dress" - back

Kiki's Lock & Keys Dress" - inside

"Kiki's Lock & Keys Dress" - detail

Antique & vintage keys were used in this dress. It was a difficult choice to paint these beauties.

She Flew the Coop

Some art pieces tell the artist what to do. With no sketch or intention of any kind, I began twisting steel wire in a drill and then taping it to a mannequin.

Ingredients: abaca fibre, steel wire, coque feathers

Life size

SOLD - Please contact artist to commission a sculpture inspired by this one.

She Flew the Coop

Progress Shot of “She Flew the Coop"