Since 2005, Jane Eccles has painted dresses loaned to her by various women and their relatives because of the garment’s link to a significant event or memory. Eccles researches their stories, producing archival paintings inspired by the narratives of women from all walks of life.

An Oshawa woman dropped off a pink floral dress for her and, as with the others, Eccles was interested in the story behind it. It turns out the woman’s mother once ran a plantation in the Caribbean. As a means for workers to make extra money, she suggested they make dresses and sell them. The dress was forgotten for years. Profile on DurhamRegion.com

Bowmanville artist Jane Eccles website, here.

Exhibition site, Clarington Arts Centre, here.

Image: Jane Eccles, Margaret’s Dress, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 36” x 48”