The Self Portrait Project: An Annual Exploration of Art, Time, and Self
As an artist, I've always found it fascinating how our work evolves, reflecting not just changes in technique but deeper shifts in who we are. Art, in its most powerful form, serves as a mirror—not just of the world around us, but of our own journey through time. That idea is at the heart of my latest creative endeavor, the Self Portrait Project: a personal tradition where, each January, I will sit down with my oil paints and create a self-portrait, capturing my face, my emotions, and my artistic voice at that very moment.
This project is more than just a series of portraits. It’s a visual diary, a timeline, and a meditation on the passage of growth and change. With each stroke of paint, I’m not only rendering the features I see in the mirror, but I’m also reflecting the changes that come with living, aging, and evolving as a person and as an artist.
Why the Self Portrait Project?
I started this project because I wanted a way to see myself grow—not just physically, but in my craft. There’s something uniquely intimate about painting your own face, year after year. It forces you to confront yourself, to look deeper into the small changes that happen over time—the lines that slowly form, the way your eyes might hold a different kind of emotion, and how your outlook on life inevitably seeps into your art.
But beyond the surface, it’s a way for me to document my artistic evolution. Each year’s portrait will reveal not just who I am, but also how my style changes with time. Will I favor bold, dramatic strokes one year, and soft, delicate details the next? Will my palette shift from moody dark tones to bright, ethereal hues? Will I become more abstract or move towards realism? The exciting part is that I don’t know. Each year brings with it new experiences, challenges, and emotions, and those will all manifest in the way I approach the glass.
The Process: Watching Myself Grow Through Oil Paint
Painting a self-portrait is an incredibly vulnerable experience. You’re your own subject, critic, and observer. It requires you to look closely at your own reflection—not just the image in the mirror, but the person beneath it. As I sit down to create each annual self-portrait, I’m faced with the reality of time passing, both in the details of my appearance and in the subtle ways my personality, my emotions, and my experiences leave their mark.
Over time, this series of portraits will become a living record of how I’ve changed—physically and artistically. I’ll be watching my face age, yes, but I’ll also be watching the gradual transformation of my style as an artist. Each portrait will represent the techniques I’m experimenting with, the colors I’m drawn to, the influences that are shaping me, and the emotions that are most present in my life at that particular moment.
There’s a certain beauty in the idea of capturing that continuous change, year by year, on the same canvas with the same subject: myself. It’s a reflection of the fact that none of us stay the same. We grow, we evolve, and our stories shift—and so does the art we create.
An Invitation to Reflect
Though the Self Portrait Project is deeply personal, I hope it also resonates with others who are on their own journey of growth and self-discovery. I’m inviting you—my clients, collectors, and supporters—to follow along as I build this collection over the years. Each painting will tell its own story, and together, they’ll form a larger narrative of how both life and art unfold over time.
My hope is that these portraits will encourage you to think about your own evolution. What changes do you notice in yourself when you look back over the years? How has your own expression—whether through art, work, or life—shifted and grown? We often move through life so quickly that we don’t pause to take stock of how far we’ve come, how much we’ve learned, and the ways we’ve been shaped by the experiences we’ve had.
In many ways, this project is about slowing down. It’s about honoring the process of becoming, whether that’s as an artist or simply as a person. It’s about finding beauty in the imperfections and the inevitability of change. Each year’s portrait will capture not just how I look, but who I am in that moment, where I’ve been, and what I’m becoming.
Looking Ahead: The Journey Continues
As I continue this project, I look forward to seeing how the Self Portrait Project will grow and develop with me. In five, ten, or even twenty years, these paintings will form a rich tapestry—a visual history of my life and my craft. I’m excited to share that journey with you, and I hope these portraits inspire you to reflect on your own.
Thank you for following along and supporting me in this evolving project. Stay tuned for each year’s self-portrait, as I explore what it means to grow, age, and create in oil paint.