The Original S.E.L.F.I.E…

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art, artists, creating, drawings, Forgiveness, frida kahlo, Instagram, joy, paintings, self portrait, self portraits, selfie, selfies, suffering

Self Portrait

Mixed Media Art Painting Collage

Sharon Cummings

2014

Long before the Internet, cell phones and the modern day “selfie”, artists were hard at work creating self portraits.  It was a right of passage of sorts for some and for others it was just practical.  It wasn’t always easy to get models, nor could the average artist afford to pay.  So naturally, they turned to themselves.

Frida Kahlo is one famous example of an artist who mostly painted her own image. She is noted as saying:

“I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.”
― Frida Kahlo

I believe this is true for many artists.  We spend a lot of time in solitude working tirelessly to perfect our craft.  We curse to an empty studio when we are agonizing over a piece and we dance in delight to ourselves as audience when all goes well.  And yet, the “self portrait” has fallen from grace as an art form.  It has been replaced with quick snaps loaded to Instagram.

I have drawn myself in Egyptian headdress in the past.  One teacher challenged me to draw myself as an old woman.  And I have sculpted my body and face in clay.  Each is an exercise in self reflection that cannot be garnered from a quick snap of the cell phone.

Self portraiture is a challenge.  I’d love to see more artists take the plunge by using Photoshop, paint, clay, markers and anything else that requires time and thought.

It is like a forgiveness of sorts.  A raw honest look at life and your place in it.  An exercise of thankfullness to the Universe for the gifts that you have been given to create with. You do it for yourself…

How We See Ourselves…

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art, Artist, creativity, friends, friendship, internet., online, online persona, people, photographs, photography, photos, portraits, self esteem, self image, self portrait, self portraits, sharon cummings

This is how the Internet World sees me.

 

This is how my friends see me.

 

And this is how I see myself.  

Isn’t it always weird to hear your own voice on an answering machine?  We have a certain idea of how we sound and how we look.  I have had an Internet presence for many years, but started using my “flower” shot at the very top about 5 years ago.  It is how everyone online pictures me.  I have had people tell me it was cute, pretty and some have said erotic.  To me it is just an artsy picture to use for my business.  My friends would say I am fun loving with a big smile, full of laughter and open.  I am often told “I feel so comfortable with you”.  I am glad that my friends feel that way with me.  To me the middle photo looks “comfortable”.  The last picture is a self portrait taken about a year ago.  Of all of the pictures I am in and that I have ever seen of myself, it reflects how I see the real “me”…..an adult with a kid’s heart…..can you see the mischievousness?  😉

And this below is probably how I really look….LOL

 

How do you see yourself?  Go through your photos and do as I have done…..it’s a pretty revealing exercise.