I always save the emails that link to your self-portraits. You are aging handsomely.
Julia
Looking good old fruit xx
Barbara M
The best way to think about birthdays is in terms of accomplishments and the future. Think of your achievements in your art and in your business. Consider the pleasure that you give to so many with your paintings. Your relationship with Ruth is certainly a positive aspect of your life. Then think of what you plan to do in the next few months. Perhaps you have some large paintings in mind. Have dinner out with Ruth in Bedoin or some other place you like. You look wonderful in this painting. Bali has obviously been a magical journey for you. The paintings you did there reflected new explorations in your technique.
Enjoy Life!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mariah
Happy birthday Julian ,
and i wish you a happy year ahead full of art, good food and wonderful friends. You've given such beauty to many many people.
Pat Carlson
Julian- My mother-in-law is a mentally active 107, and she asks the same question. By her standards you are a young'un.
Looking good at 52 ? my daughter is 53, son is 51. Well painted and interesting portraIt! Good to see the artist behind the works. Sunny
Sue Harrell
This is a lovely portrait.
You're just entering the prime of your life.
My thought on aging is this - don't considering yourself old before your time, or you'll be old for a very long time.
frith
The same place 46 went here!
Happy Birthday Julian.
A vanderven
Bon Anniversaire, mes meilleurs voeux les plus sinceres.....
52 ans la moitie d'une vie!!!
Randy Mack Bishop
Great portrait! I am nearly 65 so you've got a lot of living to do!
J
Always amazed at these self-portraits...so...very good!
Dagmar PAPENBERG
it will go further and further and better and better.
we are like good wine. happy birthday Julien! have a good one!
Dagmar
KOKON
St.Barth
karen erickson
You are perfect. Your paintings took me through an apartment-bound knee heeling, and your spirit and art give me hope.
Maybe not every day, that's a pressure. Maybe another mode of delivery.
But I've never had such a lovely internet connection.
Since I don't know you and I have to make dinner now and I appreciate you so much, I'm signing off.
(This is definitely the weirdest thing I've ever participated in.)
Karen
Who IS that masked man? OK, I have to say it; you look in a lot better condition than I did when I was 52; but then, you're the one holding the brush! Of course, artistic license would never intrude ... would it? I'm with Randy above ... at 69, I still love life. Bring on the birthdays and enjoy every one of them. Happy birthday.
52 is the real beginning. I am 79 and only now begin to feel I can paint. Happy birthday ! You have the best years ahead of you, and the best red wines and food to keep you healthy and wise.
Heureux !!
Alain
Very impressive as always.
Solemnity and passion.
Happy birthday Julian.
happy birthday, julian, from a fellow piscean who will turn 78 on sunday. never thought i'd live so long, life is full of surprises. one of the best was finding your paintings and ruths blog. thank you both for making my life richer these past years. grace
You look good! (that's "gwapo" in Filipino!) Happy birthday.
Marianne
Celebrate your birthday! It is your special day. Congratulations. And thank you for the joy you bring us through your remarkable paintings. They warm my heart. I love your still lifes and landscapes so much. But the faces you paint, especially yours, are particularly revealing, in a good way.
Kathleen Bryce
Where does it go? One day desolves into another and each one is precious and important and non recoverable. sieze the day !
Sande McCarty
I can see from the other comments that I am not the only one who is inspired, thankful, and uplifted by your art. Your paintings are amazing.
Wishing you many happy returns on your birthday, Julian!
Dear Julian,
Wishing you the best and the brightest on your birthday!
marilyn
Happy birthday, Julian! Thank you for being such a gracious soul and for continuing to bring me a gift every day. Your self portrait is beautiful!
Marilyn
Emanuel
Excellent portrait !
Julie
If I could paint one tenth as well as you Julian, it would considerably soften the blow of being fiftysomething... many happy returns - a year ago on my birthday your work inspired me to ask for oil paints as my gifts. This year - who knows? you might inspire me to actually use them.....
Ruth M
You look thinner - the break in Bali has chiselled your face into a more conventional handsome-ness. In this representation, you look more like the stereotypical 'artist' than we have seen before.
With gravitas.
julian
Thank you everybody!
Marcia T
Dear Julian,
68.
Who the hell knows?
(where it goes).
jennifer b
"Age is a matter of mind matter.
If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
jennifer b
I have a wonderful little book called. "It's never too late" full of interesting thoughts and quotations. You may like this one....It's never too late....to grow old disgracefully.
You are as old as your mind,not the calender. Make each day a new day. Refuse to relive old days (not sure I agree with that). Make bold plans. Set new personal bests. Journey into the unknown with abandon.
I asked myself the same question at 52, when my years equaled the number of weeks in the year and now I am 59 and I still have no answer but the time continues to accelerate. Great job of introspection but melancholy. Like Rembrandt's later self portraits. I have never done one for I fear the results of seeing myself as I may truly be. Thank you.
George
Take solace in the fact that you seem be following Thomas More's advice in your quest to perfect your painting skills:
"The secret of life is to have a task, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for your whole life. And the most important thing is: it must be something you cannot possibly do."
Fanny
O Julian!
Thank you.
Fanny
Alain
As jeffrey, I think of Rembrandt about of the thought process of Julian,their incredible sincerity in front of the mirror, until the ultimate instant. Yes,I "blindly" agree with Jeffrey, "great job of introspection but melancholy".
Nicola Jeffery
Happy Birthday Julian! Hope you live to be a 100yrs and continue to share your beautiful paintings with the world . They are uplifting and inspiring. x
Tish
HAPPY BIRTHDAY , Julian.
A glowing self portrait, truly a talented man.
Your years have given you an explosive
palette range. .
Well done.
Tish.
Janet Wolahan
Powerful and sensitive self-portrait, which I would have bid on if I hadn't just bought one of your paintings!
Happy birthday, Julian. Since I only know you through your work, I have been a bystander, a witness to your growth as an artist. Since I'm a wee bit older than you are, I can safely say that I think it will only keep getting better. So, keep painting! That's the best advice that I could give you (as a reminder to myself). You have done some splendid work along the way and should continue to forge ahead.
comments from 45 of your fans already....couldnt we get the comments up to 52 so julian has one for each year of his life and each week of the year...so he can look back and see how much he is admired....gfs
tanya roussopoulos
Happy birthday Julian, loving your paintings and this is fab. Tanya (met you yet but Ruth is a dear old friend) x
cindy sacks
Happy Birthday Juian. You've brought me a lot of joy. I don't know where it goes, but you are living it beautifully.
The conversation
Thoughts on this painting
48 comments
I always save the emails that link to your self-portraits. You are aging handsomely.
Looking good old fruit xx
The best way to think about birthdays is in terms of accomplishments and the future. Think of your achievements in your art and in your business. Consider the pleasure that you give to so many with your paintings. Your relationship with Ruth is certainly a positive aspect of your life. Then think of what you plan to do in the next few months. Perhaps you have some large paintings in mind. Have dinner out with Ruth in Bedoin or some other place you like. You look wonderful in this painting. Bali has obviously been a magical journey for you. The paintings you did there reflected new explorations in your technique.
Enjoy Life!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy birthday Julian ,
and i wish you a happy year ahead full of art, good food and wonderful friends. You've given such beauty to many many people.
Julian- My mother-in-law is a mentally active 107, and she asks the same question. By her standards you are a young'un.
Oh, it's just slip sliding away!
I really like what I perceive as the honesty of your self-portraits.
Happy Birthday, Julian! Handsomely painted!
Looking good at 52 ? my daughter is 53, son is 51. Well painted and interesting portraIt! Good to see the artist behind the works. Sunny
This is a lovely portrait.
You're just entering the prime of your life.
My thought on aging is this - don't considering yourself old before your time, or you'll be old for a very long time.
The same place 46 went here!
Happy Birthday Julian.
Bon Anniversaire, mes meilleurs voeux les plus sinceres.....
52 ans la moitie d'une vie!!!
Great portrait! I am nearly 65 so you've got a lot of living to do!
Always amazed at these self-portraits...so...very good!
it will go further and further and better and better.
we are like good wine. happy birthday Julien! have a good one!
Dagmar
KOKON
St.Barth
You are perfect. Your paintings took me through an apartment-bound knee heeling, and your spirit and art give me hope.
Maybe not every day, that's a pressure. Maybe another mode of delivery.
But I've never had such a lovely internet connection.
Since I don't know you and I have to make dinner now and I appreciate you so much, I'm signing off.
(This is definitely the weirdest thing I've ever participated in.)
Karen
Who IS that masked man? OK, I have to say it; you look in a lot better condition than I did when I was 52; but then, you're the one holding the brush! Of course, artistic license would never intrude ... would it? I'm with Randy above ... at 69, I still love life. Bring on the birthdays and enjoy every one of them. Happy birthday.
Bob
Western Australia
52 is the real beginning. I am 79 and only now begin to feel I can paint. Happy birthday ! You have the best years ahead of you, and the best red wines and food to keep you healthy and wise.
Heureux !!
Very impressive as always.
Solemnity and passion.
Happy birthday Julian.
Happy birthday JAMS!
Here's to another 52, Julian! Keep painting every step of the way!!
Where does it go? Back to be with its friends 1 thru 51, of course! You're just entering the age of wisdom, Julian - enjoy!
happy birthday, julian, from a fellow piscean who will turn 78 on sunday. never thought i'd live so long, life is full of surprises. one of the best was finding your paintings and ruths blog. thank you both for making my life richer these past years. grace
like yr red hair and new(?) moustache(?)
You look good! (that's "gwapo" in Filipino!) Happy birthday.
Celebrate your birthday! It is your special day. Congratulations. And thank you for the joy you bring us through your remarkable paintings. They warm my heart. I love your still lifes and landscapes so much. But the faces you paint, especially yours, are particularly revealing, in a good way.
Where does it go? One day desolves into another and each one is precious and important and non recoverable. sieze the day !
I can see from the other comments that I am not the only one who is inspired, thankful, and uplifted by your art. Your paintings are amazing.
Wishing you many happy returns on your birthday, Julian!
Dear Julian,
Wishing you the best and the brightest on your birthday!
Happy birthday, Julian! Thank you for being such a gracious soul and for continuing to bring me a gift every day. Your self portrait is beautiful!
Marilyn
Excellent portrait !
If I could paint one tenth as well as you Julian, it would considerably soften the blow of being fiftysomething... many happy returns - a year ago on my birthday your work inspired me to ask for oil paints as my gifts. This year - who knows? you might inspire me to actually use them.....
You look thinner - the break in Bali has chiselled your face into a more conventional handsome-ness. In this representation, you look more like the stereotypical 'artist' than we have seen before.
With gravitas.
Thank you everybody!
Dear Julian,
68.
Who the hell knows?
(where it goes).
"Age is a matter of mind matter.
If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
I have a wonderful little book called. "It's never too late" full of interesting thoughts and quotations. You may like this one....It's never too late....to grow old disgracefully.
You are as old as your mind,not the calender. Make each day a new day. Refuse to relive old days (not sure I agree with that). Make bold plans. Set new personal bests. Journey into the unknown with abandon.
I asked myself the same question at 52, when my years equaled the number of weeks in the year and now I am 59 and I still have no answer but the time continues to accelerate. Great job of introspection but melancholy. Like Rembrandt's later self portraits. I have never done one for I fear the results of seeing myself as I may truly be. Thank you.
Take solace in the fact that you seem be following Thomas More's advice in your quest to perfect your painting skills:
"The secret of life is to have a task, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for your whole life. And the most important thing is: it must be something you cannot possibly do."
O Julian!
Thank you.
Fanny
As jeffrey, I think of Rembrandt about of the thought process of Julian,their incredible sincerity in front of the mirror, until the ultimate instant. Yes,I "blindly" agree with Jeffrey, "great job of introspection but melancholy".
Happy Birthday Julian! Hope you live to be a 100yrs and continue to share your beautiful paintings with the world . They are uplifting and inspiring. x
HAPPY BIRTHDAY , Julian.
A glowing self portrait, truly a talented man.
Your years have given you an explosive
palette range. .
Well done.
Tish.
Powerful and sensitive self-portrait, which I would have bid on if I hadn't just bought one of your paintings!
Happy Birthday
52! Child! Marvelous portrait!
Happy birthday, Julian. Since I only know you through your work, I have been a bystander, a witness to your growth as an artist. Since I'm a wee bit older than you are, I can safely say that I think it will only keep getting better. So, keep painting! That's the best advice that I could give you (as a reminder to myself). You have done some splendid work along the way and should continue to forge ahead.
comments from 45 of your fans already....couldnt we get the comments up to 52 so julian has one for each year of his life and each week of the year...so he can look back and see how much he is admired....gfs
Happy birthday Julian, loving your paintings and this is fab. Tanya (met you yet but Ruth is a dear old friend) x
Happy Birthday Juian. You've brought me a lot of joy. I don't know where it goes, but you are living it beautifully.