What inspired this portrait?
I had just seen a Frida Kahlo exhibit. The way she looks into the viewer’s eyes and her use of nature and architecture as backgrounds in her self-portraits inspired me to create a self-portrait of my own.
How did you come up with your idea?
I made my self-portrait during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when we were doing Zoom school. It was a difficult, disorienting time. I was isolated and in my own head a lot. I wanted my self-portrait to focus on this change in my life.
Why did you choose these colors?
Blue is my favorite color. I even have blue hair. It was the perfect color to convey the sad mood I was in, so I used a lot of it. I didn’t want to create a realistic portrait, and blue gave my image an alien, otherworldly feel. I used orange since it is a complementary color to blue. It felt vibrant and gave life to my work. The touch of orange on my lips unified the composition.
Were you satisfied when you finished?
I was proud of how I went out of my comfort zone to create a portrait that wasn’t realistic and yet accurately captures the person I was during that time. But I can’t say I was satisfied. I never am. I always try to find technical things I don’t like and learn from them to improve next time.
Do you have any advice for aspiring artists like yourself?
Don’t compare your art with other people’s art. Art should come from your experience. Go for your vision and don’t hold back.