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Writer's pictureLucy

Facing My Face


Color photo of a soft pastel self portrait in progress
Self portrait in progress

[BLOG POST 11/16/24] Earlier this year, in April to be exact, I wrote a blog titled, "Face Your Face" in which I talked about a "The Great Women Artists podcast featuring a writer named  Ruth Ozeki who wrote a book titled ""The Face, A Timecode". If you'd like to read that here is a link:



At the time I was working on my Rattlesnake portrait project and I concluded the blog post saying I was interested in doing a self portrait in the same style as the Rattlesnake portraits. I wondered if I would fall in love with my own face as much as I fell in love with the faces of my models.


Well earlier this week I started my self portrait – a progress photo is featured above. Obviously I have a LONG way to go but I am starting to see myself in the portrait.


So far I can report that I've enjoyed the experience!


It's fun to study my face instead of taking it for granted. And as I look I often see family members in my face. Sometimes it is a welcome hello to someone who has passed and other times it is a rather abrupt reminder of the physical things I have in common with estranged family members.


Even other times I search my face for signs of past injuries like when I broke my nose playing soft ball. Or chicken pox scars on my forehead. It's like walking down memory lane with each line, each scar, each crease reminding me of my life.


Gratefully after doing 13 portraits of other women I can set aside my ruminations and look more objectively at my face. How does that crease line up with that shadow? How wide is my nose? What colors make up my skin? And because of that experience dear reader, I think that eventually my self portrait will end up looking like me.


At least the version of me right now in the studio with spot lights and a purple cloth hanging behind me. 😊



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