daily painting titled Self Portrait

Self Portrait

12cm x 20cm (4½"x8"), oil on gessoed card Painting status: SOLD
Daily painting for Tuesday 11 August, 2009
Posted in Portraits
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17 Comments

Lots of emotion? painting a day seems like a marathon without a finish line. I want to try it but feel somewhat intimated. Hope your day is going great. Thanks for sharing all your work. Chris
hmmmm! that raised eyebrow says something, i'm not sure what??? always good to see YOU again, and thank you for the glimpse.
An uncompromizing self contemplation. The most impressive of all your portraits, Julian! It seems that suddenly you appear without your body from the edge of the painting! Something mystical comes from the whole atmosphere. Your hair seems to be a crown of thorns, your eyes are questioning the world...A supernatural light seems to illuminate your face: you are solar. The huge wall behind you appears like an overcast sky and your eyes, yes your eyes lost in their thoughts look beyond... Strong teary and sincere like a Rembrandt. Poignancy.
Julian: I just enjoyed scrolling your portrait up and down stopping at certain places on your self-portrait. Especially when I continue to scroll up and suddenly your eyes appear. Very intense. Then I continue to scroll up and there you are. The artist. Still very intense.
Nothing negative here in the space.
Thanks for this one Julian!!
Is this my little boy of 50 years ago?
yup, that's me dad, I'm still hoping to grow into that space above my head!
Julian, as I am coming to know your work I realise two things from this portrait: 1) how difficult it is for the rest of us to paint as well as you and 2) how brave this composition is. I am learning every day from you, thank you for your unintentional painting classes!
Surprising composition and very nice use of colors. Indeed, helpfull painting classes!
btw, is that a shadow or a moustache?
Ah! you can see the crazed dictator moustache and room for a raised arm salute!! No, it's just a shadow, I have quite a pronounced cleft(there must be a proper name for it?) on my upper lip which, when I am unshaven, can give me quite a shock in the bathroom mirror.
I wouldn't dare go that far, Julian
The groove that runs from the nose to the lip is called the philtrum. Barbara
Lovely ... and may I comment that there are two ways to hang this self portrait!
On second thought,there are three... even four. Not many pictures can do that! The eyes look straight at you no matter what the position.
HI Julian This is my first post to you, though I look at your site all the time. I love all of your work, and you you continue to surprise and delight all of us with these little jewels. I have been away from my computer for a while so had a whole treasure trove to look at this morning. This little self portrait, however, is the most touching of the recent paintings you have done. I had such a visceral reaction to it -- I think it is the tenderness with which you have treated yourself. Thank you for all of your inspiration. Sue