Self-portrait (2001-2017) began its life as a coloured pencil drawing on a piece of cardboard box.
It was one of my first attempts at a self-portrait, before I became more serious about painting.
Because I used pencil rather than acrylic paint, the effect was was very subtle. Over time, the colours faded.
It began to look as though there was nothing on the cardboard at all, except for the white of my eyeballs. It hung on the wall for years, however, I always thought it looked like I hadn’t finished it.
Renewal
When I found Self-Portrait (2001-2017) after many years, the frame had broken and the cardboard was stained.
My grandfather had framed it himself in honour of my 19th birthday.
Seeing his message on the back of it made me want to preserve this piece and bring back to life. I felt it was a message of encouragement from the grave.
Painting Renaissance (2017), was an exercise in renewal and looking at art with a new vision. I felt I could do something similar with Self-Portrait (2001-2017), as it had a great deal of potential.
Completion
I used acrylic paint and some coloured pencil to complete it. As I was working on a piece of cardboard box, which was 16 years old, it was difficult to get any detailing on to the surface of the medium. Still, considering these challenges, I was pleased with the result.
At the age I first attempted to draw myself in Self-Portrait (2001-2017), I was less confident as an artist and had yet to find my way in the world. Although the original image was interesting in its time, the finished version looks a lot more like me.
Self-portrait (2001-2017) is a painting, which reflects how I look now but with a hint of the 19 year old girl I was when I began this piece.