A self-portrait is a vulnerable thing. It forces you to really look at yourself not just through your own eyes, but through the eyes of someone else. The more I stared at this image of myself, the more I felt compelled to expose the pieces of myself that might not usually be captured in a portrait; the things that others can’t view from the exterior brought to the surface.
 
Expressive layers of acrylics and charcoal, are layered with transparent oils, highlighting rather than hiding the layers before. Every layer raw and exposed, like unmasking every experience that has shaped me up to this point. Using translucent colours, I wanted to create the sense that at any moment the portrait in the foreground could just dissolve, becoming one with the floral motif behind. The peony is traditionally linked to new beginnings and represents the idea that all things on this earth seek to ‘flourish.’ It is fragmented, creating movement and the sense of growth outward.