Self-Portrait

I visited the Albright-Knox and Burchfield again and found it hard to find self-portraits.  Of course, the Albright-Knox has Frida Kahlo's self-portrait (see below) and I did find a self-portrait by Lars Gustaf Sellstedt at the Burchfield.  Although I did not see any others on these trips to the museums, I remembered seeing a self-portrait at the Albright in the past by Chuck Close, which I was able to find online.  The one by Chuck Close is probably my favorite because of the overall composition that gives a mosaic effect.  However, I really felt a connection with the Frida Kahlo self-portrait since we spoke about it in class.

Creating my own self-portrait was a lot harder than I thought it would be.  I ended up doing four different ones using different media.  My final project is a mixture of oil pastel and marker because I thought it was the most successful compared to my attempts with pencil and watercolor.  It was challenging to draw myself because I do not think it resembles me very much, but overall I tried to make it lighthearted and fun because I don't ever want to take myself too seriously.  However, I do think that the piece represents me since I created it and was able to focus on what makes me unique.  The main elements and principles I employed were color, unity, and texture.  I did enjoy the project and am pretty happy with my final artwork, especially since it was my first attempt at a self-portrait!  Here is an original picture of myself and my finished self portrait: