Judge’s Comments on “Dressed For Success” by Paige Nordstrom This piece really brought me back to my inner child! I have vivid childhood memories of putting on my mom’s makeup or going into her closet and playing dress up and trying on her clothes or jewelry. Two words come to mind when I look at this painting: sweet and darling. The subject matter seems to reflect a ‘coming of age’ moment. We see a young girl (5-6 in age) in an innocent, white summer dress looking down at her adult heels. I feel the piece is very fun and playful! Maybe the artist is trying to communicate to us that growing up doesn’t mean you lose your child-like innocence— that it is important to hold onto and carry that curiosity and imagination with us into adulthood. When I was little, I never wanted to grow up. But as I matured, I still kept my child-like enthusiasm and playfulness and carried that into my adult years. There is a repetitive pattern that happens throughout the piece. It reminds me of the water ‘ripple’ effect. The painting has rhythm and movement throughout the space that balances the painting. 23
This “vibration” captures a moment in time and also reminds us of where we are today. Integrating both thoughts, possibly, this could symbolize growing up, bridging that next chapter from leaving adolescence to stepping into adulthood. The young girl is our focal point and is in the middle of the canvas. Cohesively, the piece has a lovely sense of balance. The repetitive lines keep the content framed and unified. Overall, this artwork captures precious moments, thoughts, and feelings.
