Self-Portrait

 

Self-Portrait, 9 x 12

Painting a self-portrait is always an anxiety-laden process, for me at least. I don't know whether to make myself prettier or uglier, since capturing an exact likeness is elusive. It's grappling with the awareness of your own identity. Out of the desire to paint from life, this is the model who's always available. I worked on keeping the edges soft.

It's hard to photograph this painting because of the glare. I feel the colors are cooler and richer in the actual painting.