Not only is she an open book but she got
mentioned...honorably!
The guild where I paint had decided to have a self-portrait show. I had a
previously done one under the bed so I decided just for fun to try
and execute an idea I had been toying around with for a while in my head.
I wanted to make a book-like painting.
A painting that was acceptable on the surface but then opened to
several more possibilities.
So this is the result.
I've been working in black and white for a bit so I kept with the theme (and
those who know me well know that adding a little red reveals my interior and
wardrobe colors!)
I used two deep cradled wooden panels and gessoed them well before painting.
The insides were a bit of this and that collage, after all this was just an
experiment. After adding two hinges ( harder than it sounds) and an
appropriate lock (a real brain teaser) here is what I had.
The left side, below, represents my first 50 years of life: yep, a bit of a loud
mouth, an organizer, someone who wanted to lead.
And the right side of course symbolizes the next fifty years: much more of a
seeker, a follower, trudging uphill and enjoying the adventure of it all.
Well, I had no illusions of a prize with such an irreverent piece but I was tickled that
the judge insisted on awarding an honorable mention as he
found it too creative to ignore.
With that bit of encouragement I have additional more art books on the drawing board...and
this time I will have the kinks all worked out.
p.s. everyone should do a self-portrait, it really makes you think about
yourself and the image you project versus what you wish you
projected....hmmmmm
need I say: this piece is NFS!!
