11 11 11

Well, there we have it. As of yesterday (10/11/11) I have completed 365 days of self portraits. Exactly one year ago I was just starting this:

11/11/10 (one whole year ago!)

I'd like to think I've improved. Maybe not massively but I think I've got a clearer grasp of what's going on under the face now. This project wasn't just about trying to improve technical skill, but also about experimenting, whether that meant a good or bad outcome, and some of the self portraits I've had most fun painting are the ones where I've just thought 'Balls to it!'' and attacked the page mercilessly, seeing where my brush/pencil led me. I can't remember who said it now (something's telling me it might have been Andrew Jones but I'm not sure) but there was a good quote I had for this bit. It went something like this: When experimenting, if you find that you keep succeeding,  then you aren't experimenting properly. Or something. S'deep.

So yeah...here's the final one then. Would have loved to spend more time polishing it up but alas, time does not bend to my will.

10/11/11
(click for version w/o portrait collage)

Bit depressing isn't it? Seeing it like that? That's a whole year...doesn't look much. It took bloody ages to lay out 364 portraits, but it was actually quite enjoyable. I relived the year with each one I set on the page. Every now and then I'd place one and something would spark in my brain. ''Oh yeah, that was the day so and so happened'' Each self portrait brought back a rush of memory or surge of emotion.
I'm very pleased I did this. There were high and lows, but it was all worth it. I was going to close by saying 'Thank god, I'll never have to see that face again' but it's still there...in the mirror...watching...

</awkwardawardacceptancespeech>

Cheers Y'all. :D