Self portrait

[Jean Kelly]

Linda, I find the phrase "brutal honesty" to be very intriguing. As a portrait artist, do I have to choose whether I create fantasy, wishful thinking, or true realism? Brutal honesty seems to cover the entire range of the soul itself. All the pain and ugliness, all the joy and beauty. What a profound experience. Can a portrait artist realistically portray this in a single work? And would one even want to "bare the soul" to such a extent?

Jean

[Linda Brandon]

Hi Jean,

When I think of "brutal honesty" I think of the (now deceased?) painter Alice Neel, who painted her first self portrait at the age of 80, in the nude.

So far, I have painted self portraits when I've been unsuccessful in talking clients into "unorthodox" portraits that I'm just dying to paint. For example, nobody seems to be as thrilled about kimonos as I am, so I painted myself wearing one. I personally believe they are a timeless garment in which to be painted, but most people seem to think they are just old bathrobes.

Other must-paints (for me) include giant hats, turbans, long gloves, bizarre animal skins, and half-in-and-out-of-water poses... though maybe not all in the same painting. Also, wouldn't it be interesting to be painted, as, say, a centaur or a harpy? The mind boggles. I may have to just get models for this kind of thing.

You are very attractive in your photo, so I guess I'm just encouraging you to push the envelope a little. But heck - who needs to be "attractive" to push the envelope, anyway? [Insert long, harranging screed about society's false notions of "attractiveness".]

I can't leave off without posting a self portrait by one of my favorite artists, Gustave Caillebotte. I had to be pulled away by the arm after I stood in front of this painting for 20 minutes a few years ago. He just knocks my socks off.

[Jean Kelly]

Hello,

Linda, his eyes look like they could pierce right through steel. No hiding anything from him. No wonder you were transfixed.

When totally confused and overloaded, I often discuss things with my husband Tom (I've drawn and painted him many times). We met 10 years ago, and our 9th wedding anniversary is at the end of April. He would like me to paint the crop that Beth did as a gift to him. These pictures have been "hidden" in a drawer all this time, he's never seen them till now so this question has been resolved.

But.... My list of projects has grown significantly. A fantasy portrait, a nude from life (haven't told Tom about that one yet), a wrinkled kindly gramma covered with flour, a 7-year-old tomboy, a 19-year-old rebellious hippie, and let's not forget the 4- to 6-year-old adorably cute litle girl in the white dress with a bow!

Jean

ps. "Bizzare animal prints?" This brings an image to mind!

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Dear Jean,

Linda has some great ideas and her suggestions of "props" should make the self-portrait really unique and different.

My self-portrait is as a veiled middle eastern patriarch after Jean-Leone Gerome's "Caucassian Lady". I chose that pose, garment and background all because I found it decorative, as well as being a statement of my heritage and personality.

The pose is commanding and fills out the space and the look is stern, yet I am sort of hiding behind the veil.

Visitors to my home can't miss it, since it hangs in our formal room. Some recognize me in an instance and with a big grin ask: "Self-portrait?-others keep looking back and forth at the painting and then me, wondering if they should dare ask.

A self-portrait allows you to take liberties that you might not be able to take with a commissioned piece, so have fun with it and push the envelope!

I just think as a promotional tool you can open yourself up for a lot of direct critique, whereby using a cute "girl in a white dress" does not.

Can't wait to see how you choose to portray yourself.

[Jean Kelly]

Hi Enzie,

I went to your website to have a look at your self portrait. You do look very "commanding". Is that a whip in your hand?

Tom and I decided to do a photo shoot over the weekend, and we came up with a pose that says everything about who I am right now. I'm not going to post it, but will post the final as an "unveiling" (appropriate term).

Off to work.

Jean