Self-portrait exploration

pencil on paper

The self portrait is an exercise that so many artists seem to undertake and much as has been written about the self-portrait. It is said of good portraits that they speak about the sitter in some way. I read recently that there is a bond between artist and his subject yet in many instances they have only just met and at best the artist will only know the person superficially. Yet with the self-portrait, the artist is depicting the one person that he/she knows above all others.

I seem to have spent an excessive amount of time staring at myself in the mirror over the last week. There have been moments when I have been reduced to giggles over features that have been the subject of family legend to moments of wondering whether it would be possible to have other parts of my face surgically altered. Mainly this has been no more than an exercise in drawing from life. Not perfect - more practice required!

I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best. Frida Kahlo

Eggs

Pastel on paper

A small part of our household goods arrived last week including my pastels, some paints, panels and paper. Great delight to be reunited with them, followed by a more than a little trepidation and procrastination. There is only so much alternative living (where you do the alternative rather than doing what you are supposed to be doing) you can do before you have to bite the bullet and get down to it.

Egg studies - to get my feet wet with colour. The deceptively simple shape of eggs provides complex possibilities for colour, shadows and light, reflections, warm and cool tones.

The Eyes have It

Charcoal on Rives

It's been a while since I posted on this blog but 7 months of living in a hotel room was a little stifling of artistic inspiration. We are settled for the next three years in Frankfurt, Germany. Great sigh of relief to be back in Europe and out of harm's way. Still limited in art materials as all my "stuff" is still on route from Pakitan via Bangladesh! Long story! Still I do have charcoal and paper.

I have a couple of ideas brewing for major projects and as I let those take form I am doodling and these eyes are a product of those doodles.

One of the joys of being back in civilisation is finding a wonderful art store and have been told of another that is supposed to be even better. On a short drive out from the city, the landscape already looked promising in terms of subject matter. The brilliant acid yellows of the rape seed flowers were