America in the 1950’s brings to mind Norman Rockwell Thanksgivings, Howdy Doody and other bucolic and nuclear ways of life. Americans DID NOT talk about sex. No one dared. Dr. Alfred Kinsey dared. In 1958 he published a report which stripped down (literally) the male human and his sexuality. America was shocked, stunned but very, very curious. The report was a best seller. A few years later his report of the sexual female human was ostracized and practically pronounced criminal due to the fact America wasn’t ready for their mothers, sisters and wives described in such “naked” terms. This is the first portrait in which I have tried ribbon rusching. Which is a term to describe ribbon or more common used fabric that is tacked down with little stitches and then folded in on itself to create a luscious sort of puckery field of tender folds. This technique is more commonly found in haute couture or wedding gowns. Here I saw using it to represent either the petals of a flower or the trim found on boudoir apparel. Whether hating him or loving him Kinsey helped us to understand ourselves sexually and wasn’t afraid to ask the hard questions and then publish them.