Abstract Self-Portrait

2018

87 x 52 inches

Colored Pencil on Paper

 

There is so much more to our identity than just our faces. When I took on the task of a self-portrait, I decided my face wasn’t enough to show how I felt.

 

Colored pencils are my favorite medium for many reasons including their timely application. It doesn’t matter how fast you want to go. It’s going to take how long it takes. Like life, colored pencil goes down in layers. The shade underneath colors the layer on top. 

 

I also appreciate the permanence. You can’t erase or cover your marks – you have to work with what you’ve got. All you can do is move forward with what you have and make it into what you want it to be.

 

I like how Prismacolor is smooth and almost romantic in the way it’s applied. The yearlong process became meditative for me. I got to do the same thing for so long that you can see how my emotions and perspective changed over time according to the things I was going through. I hope you can feel all the different emotions throughout the piece.