Studying myself in the mirror is an intimate experience. It can also be deafening as self-criticism fills my mind but I hold confidence in my connection to drawing. The practice of blind contour quiets my inner dialogue and I can lean into the trust I have cultivated in my hands. In this way, creating abstracted self-portraits is a form of meditation and an exercise in joy for me.
As I lock my eyes with my image in the mirror, my hand begins to travel. The oil pastel glides across the surface, capturing the curvature of my face with grace. The level of abstraction produced in blind contour comes as a surprise. My whole body is engaged as I fill the larger than life surface. As I repeat the process the abstraction is evolved. The second drawing develops with the drawing tool affixed to a long dowel, resulting in jagged and raw linework. These approaches to drawing create contrast in the dynamic of the intertwined portraits.
To create unity in the drawings, woven shapes are emphasized with acrylic paint. Intuition guides the selection of colors. The dance of composing the tangled portraits continues to balance the melding of the drawings. Grounding the work in pink, a bold and empowering color that draws attention, the accompanying palette of rich colors brings a sense of exuberance to the work. Color is applied as the search for the most intriguing shapes unfolds.
Through drawing, painting, and reflecting, relief mutes the doubt and a self-assurance sings. The work is an arrival and celebration of a return to oneself.
