Give me Tulle

Coming or going?
© 2021 Laurel Reynolds

I always get Tulle and Toile confused.

According to Google, Toile is a fabric derived from the French word meaning canvas or cloth that has decoration on its surface in a repeated pattern. It usually involves monochromatic, oftentimes pastoral scenes. I have a Toile pillow with bees surrounded by laurel leaves that live next to pastoral scenes and a farmer’s wheelbarrow.

But what about Tulle? Tulle originated sometime during the 1700’s and is the namesake of a city in France. It was woven by hand from silk during that time. In today’s modern world, Tulle has been industrialized and rather than being made from silk, it is being produced using syynthetic fibers. It’s been associated with femininity and modesty, like when being worn veiled over a pillbox hat.

Tulle and Toile aside, this painting was made in early 2021 and I’m hoping to paint more scenes capturing lights and the hubbub of the city at night. I think that painting this woman in a beautiful Tulle dress, satisfied my desire to be a fashion illustrator when I was younger. The idea of this woman perhaps coming from an event, with the city at night in the background, is mysterious and it brought joy creating it!