Getting Older, One Day At A Time
Birthdays. Don't cha love to hate them? They're an entire day, dedicated for you, do whatever you wish. Except it also means you're getting older, which for most isn't a pleasant thought. Older doesn't imply wiser, or anything particular, other than less time on the clock. Getting older, for me, just shows all the things on my 'to do list' I haven't gotten done, and time, she doesn't stop ticking. Up until thirty, getting older wasn't a big deal. Hell, it was fun. After thirty, the bullets stopped bouncing off and my cloak of invincibility wore thin. New aches and pains said hello each morning. Brain cells stopped bouncing back, wiggling like dry roots in a dusty cranium. Thoughts becoming dried jerky. Sorry, that got graphic. But, it's my birthday, my day.
Since 2002 it's been my tradition every birthday to make a self portrait. A documenting of my face or mental state I guess.
My college art professor has my very first one. She kept it for class room examples. I made it out of newspaper clippings cut and ripped into little pieces arranged in variations of dark to light value to reveal the shadow, light, and features of my face all glued on a 24" x36" matte paper. It was one of the most pain in the ass pieces of artwork I ever created. Cutting bits of newspaper and placing them in the right shade pile to then render my face. I don't even have a photo of the end result.
But I do have the years after:
Oil on Canvas, 2004
Oil on Canvas, 2005
Paint by number: Acrylic on Canvas, 2007
Acrylic and Ink, 2010
Spray paint and stencil, 2011
Carved relief print block, 2012
Oil on Canvas, 2013
Acrylic and Ink, 2014
Acrylic, Ink, and Print Paper on wood, 2015
Ink and Oil on Wood, 2016
Ink and Oil on Wood, 2017
This year I'm thinking plaster cast, or something with 3D relief.
These are fucking awesome! Seriously. Cool concept too, I'm sorry about your first one. Maybe you could contact that teacher and get a picture? I dunno
Thanks man. Yeah! That's a brilliant idea. I knew Facebook was good for something. lol It's the only way I can find people these days.
The cool pencil work becomes an amazing photo, very nice posting you Friend
Thanks Friend for the kind words.
It's really amazing and beautiful, of course it reflects the art and effort you make after several years of work, you are truly creative, you deserve to be rewarded for your wonderful artwork, thank you dear @ghostfish for everything you offer and work, and I have full confidence in you that I will see in the near future Great artist
Thanks, and yes, years and years it's been, an accumulation of time and effort. But all for the passion and fun. Painting and creativity enriches the soul. Or so I tell myself. Thank you for the wonderful comment and motivation. to be a great artist or not, to do, or not to do, that is the question.
First of all, happy birthday! Have a great day and celebrate it as you feel the best. :)
Secondly - just wow! Are you actually selling those drawings? They are really masterpieces.
Thanks! Yesterday was relaxing. Nice sunny melty day. And, I don't know about my face being masterpieces, but they're a start right? haha! Not sure anyone would want to hang my face on their walls. lol
Who knows? Maybe they want a portret with their faces haha and so you can earn some money too :) you are an artist!
Ha! Ha! Yes! Great idea. Gotta make that money.
Wow that's cool! Never thought of doing this at all. That's a nice project to celebrate birthdays!
Yeah birthdays can suck because they remind us of our age. Lol. But it's okay it's just one day out of the rest of the days.
Just one day out of the rest, I don’t know if that’s depressing or uplifting. No pressure I guess. It’s nice getting all the bday wishes though.