Self Portrait 1985 2015

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 I've recently been looking at some early work to see how the paint is holding up. In most cases it is holding it's own better than the images...

This was a self portrait painted some thirty years ago. I have always used white lead wherever possible in my painting, knowing that it's unique physical properties, as well as being highly desirable from a painterly point of view, imbue it with a rugged permanence.  As you can see from the close up, the paint has not cracked or flaked at all.  It is a pity that white lead is getting very difficult to obtain because of mamby-pamby toxicity concerns. the irony is that now I have to grind my own from the dry pigment and it is in this form that it is most toxic. I simply wear a mask.


Anyway, this image seemed to also be holding it's own, but there were some areas that didn't work, especially the background. So I repainted it and also tightened up some other areas here and there.

It is interesting looking back on how I saw myself as a young man. It has a certain aloof arrogance that I don't think I feel now.

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