Stunning!Disconcerting!Puzzling!...So many words to qualify this stunning portrait. But just a single locution comes to my mind immediately:"tour de force"! Oddly,this pure piece of bravura reminds me of the famous Franz Hals Fragonard and Lucian Freud who painted with the same boldness. Forehead and nose here are pure marvels:when the varied directions of brushstrokes as unique fingerprints genetically give birth to life...from an ordinary piece of fabric for painting.
Susan
Must be your birthday! Thank you for the set up including paint choices. Wonderful... and so is the portrait.
Eriksen JC
Well it's lots better with curls. It reminds me of Ruth's description in Cherry Orchard. Looking for a new one of ?Louie.
Who is that handsome chap! Fabulous painting Julian
Anna Howard
Dear Julian,after years of laying on paint and generally honing your craft,content and substance are one! A mellow,yet spirited self portrait shows a man with a kindly face, still curious but with a touch of scepticism(which has nothing to do with cynicism),a husband, a father, a painter. I know this is presumptuous of me but you are looking rather fauve and Provencal as well,could it be by symbiosis! Or is it that the curls are back!
lennart s
you became better and better!
Laurie
I am amazed at how abstract and loose your painting is and yet you always catch the lights and darks and the subject with such emotion. Your paintings are a bright spot in my day every time. Thanks for sharing.
Steve Merrow-Smith
WOW!
Eriksen JC
Well it's lots better with curls. It reminds me of Ruth's description in Cherry Orchard. Looking for a new one of ?Louie.
Elinor Stone
So helpful that you showed the set-up. This encourages me, a painter-in-training, to try it.
Many thanks,
Elinor Stone
The conversation
Thoughts on this painting
21 comments
Love your work Julian, fabulous self portrait. I'm hoping to come along nest year to your workshop from OZ
Channeling Rembrandt? Wonderful.
Stunning!Disconcerting!Puzzling!...So many words to qualify this stunning portrait. But just a single locution comes to my mind immediately:"tour de force"! Oddly,this pure piece of bravura reminds me of the famous Franz Hals Fragonard and Lucian Freud who painted with the same boldness. Forehead and nose here are pure marvels:when the varied directions of brushstrokes as unique fingerprints genetically give birth to life...from an ordinary piece of fabric for painting.
Must be your birthday! Thank you for the set up including paint choices. Wonderful... and so is the portrait.
Well it's lots better with curls. It reminds me of Ruth's description in Cherry Orchard. Looking for a new one of ?Louie.
Shapes of Robert Henri who said "Paint the flying spirit of the bird instead of its feathers!"
Rembrant.
Just love it - so painterly!
is that Ruth in the corner of
the mirror......
Your self-portraits are always the most memorable for me. And always marvelous. I am grateful for them.thanks you.
Love Alain's term "bravura." We've seen this look before, I think in reference to Louis' behavior. It makes me smile.
Curiously, your self portraits portray you as a very serious guy.....but I recall you as being very much in touch with your inner silly self.
impressed !
seems that we are face-to-face !
Who is that handsome chap! Fabulous painting Julian
Dear Julian,after years of laying on paint and generally honing your craft,content and substance are one! A mellow,yet spirited self portrait shows a man with a kindly face, still curious but with a touch of scepticism(which has nothing to do with cynicism),a husband, a father, a painter. I know this is presumptuous of me but you are looking rather fauve and Provencal as well,could it be by symbiosis! Or is it that the curls are back!
you became better and better!
I am amazed at how abstract and loose your painting is and yet you always catch the lights and darks and the subject with such emotion. Your paintings are a bright spot in my day every time. Thanks for sharing.
WOW!
Well it's lots better with curls. It reminds me of Ruth's description in Cherry Orchard. Looking for a new one of ?Louie.
So helpful that you showed the set-up. This encourages me, a painter-in-training, to try it.
Many thanks,
Elinor Stone
A master of the brush and colour mixing!
Still looking hot, Julian.