My Goodness it's been ages (ten years?) since I made a self portrait. I think I drew a mustache on the last one and called it Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. ha ha. At any rate. I like this one better. It falls into both my miniature series and my box series (you see I'm forcing myself to limit the series I'm working on- to focus in on two directions. But not prone to leave anything out I sneakily combined some existing directions- don't tell anyone, okay?). Actually it is bigger as well- paint box sized, you know, not exactly miniature.Its my grandmothers old painting box. And myself as steady Elephant- working for peanuts and wondering which direction to pursue. Should I paint Chinese clouds-cartoon elements in the realistic world- just as we often act like cartoon characters/2D animations in the everyday? Will this bring me my prosperity, my peanut rain? Or? And yes, I do often feel I'm painting with my nose for how clumsy my art can be.
If a fortune teller who was known for truthful telling read our cards and told you would would not succeed as an artist (or whatever it is you, my open minded reader, are working so hard on in life), would you continue to do it? What if she said you would eventually get by financially and emotionally on this path but never be entirely content and stuck with the choice for life? What if the alternative would mean you would have to change a lot and still would not guarantee you happiness and/or success? What would you choose?
Would you continue on your path even if you would never rise past average?
Seriously, I want to know. so please comment.
And in case you were saying to yourself, 'Hey! I thought this blog was about painting while parenting!' I'll have you know I typed this blog all one handed while my other hand has slowly fallen asleep cradling a deeply sleeping almost 3 year old boy. We steal our moments. Or we just get really good at multi-tasking.
