In reflecting back on any history I might have of drawing or painting faces, I made reference a few days ago to replicating a self-portrait originally drawn for the cover of my kindergarten report card.
I painted an update some 60 years later, with two thoughts in mind. The first was to make a gift for my mom for her 86th birthday, something uncomplicated to express my love. Two months after her birthday she experienced a stroke that landed in the lap of her advancing dementia, and she moved to a nursing home. From the time of that birthday until her death eight months later, I made sure the framed painting was perched near her as a way to hug her when I wasn't present in person.
The other impetus behind that particular self-portrait was that the original conveyed such apparent ease of expression, confidence, and lack of self-consciousness, three feelings I wanted to develop as a no-longer-five-year-old painter. Ironically, for many reasons, the act of replicating was not one of ease, confidence, or lack of self-consciousness; I was very deliberately paying attention to detail and fussing to get the copy right!
But that impetus to loosen up persisted. Enter Amanda Evanston's The Art of Abstract Faces course, a frank invitation to go wild! The kindergartner in me is revived!
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| birthday gift for Mom 2015 |
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| detail used for online profile picture |
going wild
10 comments:
We are all born children- the trick is remaining one. Picasso
You did a great job!
Picasso, you got THAT right!
Thx for the quotation, thx for appreciating my 'great job,' and thx for inspiring this post thru a comment a few days ago, Carol.
oh gosh such sweetness and sorrow all in one story...the art (as art does) makes it all sweeter, deeper, more resonant. I love that you are going wild with this! And what Carol said - the trick is remaining child-like.
oh gosh yes so much sweetness, sorrow, childlike presence, lived wisdom, art, and life all swirling around together. Jen, thank you for sharing your energy and encouragement.
When you mentioned your kindergarten self-portrait a few days ago I was hoping you’d post it. So happy to see it today and to know that your inner child is alive and kicking!
Joje, I thought of you as I wrote this one : )
Happy to have you say you're happy to know my inner child is alive and kicking, given that you probably saw the worst of my kicking inner child when we were kids!
It’s safe for me to say now because I’m far away!
!!!
So nice to see her again. She just makes me happy.
Lovely story Dotty. A treasure!
Thank you, Sheila. Your thoughts here feel like a hug : )
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