Time Machine – 2019

In the interest of transparency, I didn’t want to post this. I wasn’t happy with how my portrait was turning out! Doesn’t matter, it is part of the process and I want you to see the good with the bad!

Working on portraits was a continuation of us working on our warm and cool lights and darks, building form and structure through the manipulation of color. This is where I am now with both of my paintings. This is a reminder that we are using only the Zorn palette to do these portraits.

I like how he is turning out so far. I wanted to continue with what I had already done, but I have to finish getting paint on the canvas before I finish off any particular area, just in case I have to make major changes to the structure of the portrait. I stopped here because I had to stop and figure out how I was going to paint the beard.

Working on the above painting made me feel that this was easy! Then I started my self-portrait.

My self-portrait felt like a bit of a disaster at this point. I lost the likeness and turned into a 16-year-old boy somewhere in the middle of this. I’m still finding my way back. Luckily I have a couple of weeks to go on this.

And, I did it! It’s embarassing to post where it started, and necessary. This blog is for artists, aspiring artists, as well as fans. I love this painting and I have it hanging on the wall outside my room where I can look at it any time I want.

This was a huge lesson in turning things around and getting past the “uglies” as I call them. A painting is in process and not complete until the artist says it is. I learned a lot by doing this self-portrait, and not just in the painting of it. Self-portraits force us to look at ourselves as well as the judgements that follow from that introspection. Then we get to choose whether or not to believe those judgements.