Wednesday, November 2, 2011

More Self Portraits

Last night, prompted by a conversation with a friend about her daughter's Halloween makeup, I felt a sudden need to draw all over my face with eyeliner. I've been thinking for some time about taking self portraits that incorporate some sort of fantastical makeup design, but somehow I never bothered. Because apparently, I was waiting for a really convenient time--like 10:00 at night on a night when I'd had the flu for several days prior. When I had to be up early to go get a U-Haul van so that I could move furniture into my new home. (About which, more later, once it's safely through the "worse before it gets better" stage of moving in chaos. The one in which cardboard features heavily as a decorative device.)

And then, although I hadn't exactly planned to take pictures last night, once I had all that makeup drawn on me, I couldn't very well waste the opportunity.


So here you go, in keeping with my new (but apparently ongoing) obsession with ethereal, fairy-like characters and candlelight in my self portraits. (I have no explanation, really. I was not particularly an ethereal, glitter-and-fairies sort of child. I'd love to think these current ethereal fairy-like creatures have a certain Shakespearean forest creep factor, but it's entirely possible they're just glittery. But whatever. They keep presenting themselves. I think I've decided my job with creative obsessions is simply to play them out to their natural finishing points.)

The last one is hands-down my favorite. I think I now also have an obsession with editing my photos to look like paintings. Yum.






The texture I used on this one can be found here. Honestly,
I wasn't really that into textures until I found this guy's
textures. They're really saturated and painterly and beautiful.


13 comments:

  1. (Scream) I love them! I want to draw on my face now. Wishing you a smooth move too :) x

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  2. (*echoes scream from above*) Gaaah!!! These are crzy-awesome, Ame. I LOVE the second one, and it is hard to tell there if the eyeliner is texture or real! What complete fun.

    To your "Shakespearean forest creep factor," and the emergence of glittery fairy desires in ones' self, I submit my wedding gown choice. Gobs and gobs of lacy flowery bs. I looked at all the pretty, demure, sophisticated gowns that I assumed I'd want (which were all $7000 or more)... and then I saw it. A traditional, pick-it-up-and-run-through-the-fields gown. An absurdly long trail. Buttons down the back. Did I mention the silly lace? (It was about 5% the cost of the others--probably on account of being the very lowest on the trendy totem pole. That helped. Dramatically.) Anyway, I still can't explain it. I wore that stupid dress to my wedding, and I'm still sort of chagrined about it... but I lurv it. I still have it, and can bring it out any old Halloween I please. :)

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  3. I agree, go with it. I'm often surprised to see what I have decided I must make for my wardrobe. It must be right or I wouldn't want it , no?

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  4. I love these portraits..the texture works so well. Thank you for your lovely comment on my photo...x

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  5. GAH! insert insanely poetic and beautiful comment about that photo here. my mind is too blown to be verbose right now.

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  6. I love the body art (temporary) and the LIPSTICK!

    But what I REALLY want to see is Lis actually picking up her gown and running through the fields. She should be wearing the gown while running through the fields.

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  7. Sorry --- don't want to be creepy computer stalker.

    Anonymous is A's M.

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  8. Hey, Mom, remember the very first lipstick? The one we bought because you insisted I needed a little color with that Gunne Sax dress I was wearing to bat mitzvahs? And what a terrible color it was, and how it would. not. come. off. no matter what we did? Yeah. I was scarred. Now it's almost always Burt's Bees sheer stainy things, and only for very special occasions. ;-)

    (LIS! YES! We should totally do a wedding dress/field photo shoot! Or a wedding dress/Amy's backyard wilderness photo shoot!)

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  9. Oh, and hey! Everyone else, thank you for all the excited comments! This was fun. I may only have advanced the obsession...

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  10. *Scream!*
    I just wanted to get in on the screaming fun.
    I love these.
    Keep up the exploratory art good times!

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  11. I don't remember the lipstick but I wish we could remember the brand. Nothing lasts. I need all the help and fake courage I can get. And yeah, I knew you guys could make the dress thing happen. Come on, Lis!

    A's M.

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  12. these are really magical. love them.

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