portraits, self or otherwise

madameshawshank · Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:02 am Post subject: portraits, self or otherwise

A trip to Canberra for me always includes a visit to The National Portrait Gallery...two venues...Old Parliament House and a building by the lake...

thought you might enjoy this:

http://www.portrait.gov.au/gallery/portmnth/nov06/index.html

also am wondering how we would go about creating self-portraits at the moment...imagine that this moment's would be different from the next moment's!

on canvas?

pencil sketch?

the size?

full body?

eyes only?

inside/outside....a room ....a river?

would a viewer know much from these portraits?

an exercise of reflection methinks...
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

Knifethrower · Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 218 Location: Heaven, actually.

My self portrait, upon parchment paper:

Face of vanilla pastry cream, tinted at the cheeks with a dash of Framboise.

Ribbons of 72% Valhrona chocolate hair, with the occasional white chocolate shaving at the roots (don't tell anyone!).

Eyes of sugared violets.

Two half moons of succulent mango at the lips.

Shimmery white fondant pearled teeth.

And, of course, Star Anise earrings...

Very Happy

Let's see how everyone else looks! Hee-Hee!!!
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There is only one way to die- With a full stomach and a good tan.

madameshawshank · Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:36 am Post subject:

Knifethrower...meltingly beautiful..

we have super-duper heatwave conditions today...so for the moment I'm imagining myself portraited within an ice block...dancing the coolest of portrait dances...

by golly I'm keen as mustard to see what comes up! after I've finished melting, I'll set to and joyously construct the self p....
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

gisele · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:57 am Post subject:

Hmm...a self portrait that would describe me, at this moment in my lifw? Shocked

I shall be back...should give me a bit of time to think it through

Knifethrower · Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 218 Location: Heaven, actually.

My Darling Madame,

I am sure you are as lovely pirouetting in a glimmering puddle as you would be sculpted in a crystal ice sculpture, betutu-ed and tiara-ed!

Please don't melt!!
_________________
There is only one way to die- With a full stomach and a good tan.

madameshawshank · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:48 am Post subject:

Knifethrower Dear (henceforth KD)..

any form of dance and I'm off with the stars of the sky...seen and unseen...

come on you sweet lurkers you....share with us your imagined portraits...or perchance a photo posted of a really truly selfportrait..how much fun would that be! Wink

somehow or other in mine, at the moment, would be waves...sunlight on waves...perhaps the hair...smile a mile wide...so maybe the mouth as a roadway...perhaps...
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

Lady Amalthea · Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Posts: 136 Location: New York City

There is no dancing for me, but music--piano and singing--dancing all around me. And it is finally cold here, so the portrait of the moment is wrapped in blankets or sweatshirts--well-bundled up. The paprika hair billows all over the place and the grape eyes peer over the tops of the blankets.
Today is a day of from work, you see, and the cold makes me retreat.
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Don't forget the cannolis!

madameshawshank · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:04 pm Post subject:

oh Lady Amalthea! I'm imagining Spanish smoked sweet paprikaed hair...play on LA, play on...even at rest, play on...in the cold? play on....whatever the weather, play on...

hugs
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

madameshawshank · Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 7:55 am Post subject:

not sure how to smallerize this!....how much fun!!! in a park in Frankfurt...imagine climbing those stairs..and there you are...a statue Wink

_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

David · Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:58 pm Post subject:

Finally something that deserves the word FABULOUS!!!
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Vivant Linguae Mortuae!!

Griffin · Joined: 09 Jun 2006 Posts: 932 Location: England

Ahh what a sculpture... and so lifelike too! Doubtless the initials stand for I Came Here! Just don't stand too still for too long or they'll have you in a museum collection!!

I did a self portrait once in pencil and ink. It was not terribly good. Now it would be done in chocolate more than likely. Dark chocolate eyes and hair... lips in raspberry truffles cut/bit in half... skin in a paler chocolate ganache. The glasses could be tricky tho'.
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Confusion comes fitted as standard.

Rachel · Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Posts: 296 Location: Santa Barbara, CA

Madame, that is brilliant! (And whoever had the idea of putting that plinth in the park in the first place also deserves congratulations...)

I did my share of self-portraits as a child, before I figured out that I was much much better at writing about art than making it, but my favourite is more recent... not sure if it counts as someone else (my mum) took the photograph, but seven years ago when we visited Florence I got her to take a picture of me 'emerging' from the hollow trunk of a gnarled old tree in the Boboli gardens. As luck would have it, I was wearing a brown top that day so, apart from my hands and face, I really blend into the tree! I've never been sure if it looks more like a dryad, Daphne or Phyllis, but it does capture the fact that I'm shy but a bit mischievous!

Judy · Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:44 pm Post subject:

Griffin, the glasses could be thin strands of licorice, or vanilla beans.
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Doing what you like is freedom
Liking what you do is happiness

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madameshawshank · Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:08 am Post subject:

or very very fine squid-ink pasta Wink

Rachel, is there a chance we might be able to see The Rachel Tree photo???? pretty pretty pretty please...

ok Jude...since you've joined us on this thread, will youshare your portrait? doooooooooo..hugs
_________________
"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

Judy · Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:16 am Post subject:

oh, Madame, I'm soooo unartistic! I'll have to think about this one. I guess it might involve my favourite foods, specially spices.
_________________
Doing what you like is freedom
Liking what you do is happiness

www.cupcakerecipebook.com.au