Lessons from my Second Mirror Self Portrait
This was a little different from the last one.
On a mission to see myself but it feels like I fell into the trap of using my eyes. This time it didn't feel as awakening as the first time. Maybe because it wasn't completely new ground, it was involving and enjoyable again, I think the intensity of the process plays into this.
It does feel like a straight jacket to some extent, which is interesting as I’ve noticed the more rigid and sometimes limiting aspects of my character over the last few months. It feels like I’ve captured him. The loose playfulness and active motion of my recent paintings have been lost in the hours and the anchors. I wonder if when painting my dreams and experiences it comes more from my heart/soul.
I’ll keep it in focus as it dries. Each day it seems to express growing and altering emotions - or at least that's what I’m seeing in his eyes.
There's still considerably more to explore.
The mechanical and physical -
This time it was a canvas, primed with oil gesso which I had never painted on before. I did intend to include more body but the canvas was not big enough. I placed the mirror out of the line of sight of the canvas, I had to physically move to paint and reset each time I looked at myself. Like the first, I established some anchors for my pose to align myself in the same position as close as I could - I used the width of my neck (both sides) and aligned my eyes in relation to my ears. I had just finished the red-headed-looking-up painting from a photo reference. I like that pushing pose and colour and I wanted to bring some of that to the mirror portrait. It didn't take me long to sit in front of the mirror once again and realise it would be impossible to paint me not looking at myself. Oh and an obvious one, if I lean the mirror it distorts the reflection.
