Self-Portraits

This is the first post I have done since the end of December 2012.  I quit the blog because I had other things to do, and lost interest in posting.  I also have my master's to complete--yeah! I'll be done at the end of March!   But to the point of this post, Self-Portraits.
  
Recently a member of our art guild died, and now in the last week another one has left us.  These two ladies were founding members of our guild.  I never saw a self-portrait of either of these ladies.  I do know that our most recent guild project for the month of March is to create a self-portrait.  The last lady to pass on worked on hers days before she died. Did she work on it live or how?  I wonder what she felt like when she was drawing it?  What emotions went through her mind?  

What are self-portraits?  A drawing, painting, pencil or other art media created by the artist of themselves.  Yes, a camera can be used to take a self-portrait.  However, doing a self-portrait LIVE in front of the mirror is a TRUE self-portrait!  Drawing a portrait from a photograph to make the self-portrait does not allow you to have feelings like doing it live. If you do it from a photograph you are cheating yourself out of an experience!  I challenge my group to do a live portrait in front of the mirror.  

I have done about 5-6 self-portraits over the years.  Sadly, it was the year 2000 before I made my first real self-portrait.  I opened my portfolio of them the other day.  I have changed so much over the years.  It's like opening a history book of my face!   

To fulfill our group project, I began first with a pencil sketch, an oil pastel, 2 tempera paintings, and a graphite drawing.  All were done in front of a mirror.  Each is different.  Each expression is different.  My mood and thoughts were different each time.  

*Picasso said, "There is nothing more interesting than people. One paints and one draws to learn to see people, to see oneself."   

*Philip Guston said, "What measure is there, other than the fact that at 'one' point in your life you trusted a feeling. You have to trust that feeling and then continue trusting yourself."
  
Doing a self-portrait is not easy, because you want to try to make it perfect.  Guess what, people we are not perfect.  Let the true you come through!

Please note:
No portion of this post may be copied and pasted into another blog, email, or through any time of electronic means without permission of me, the author.  I may be contacted at lydiagates90@yahoo.com. 

*Quotes:  from Artist to Artist; Inspiration & Advice from Artists Past & Present  by Clint Brown