Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Self Portrait

The portrait. I keep thinking it is done (like the baboon painting....which, I worked on today) but I began to think about what it says about me...being a self portrait. My love for animals and the fact that they are the subjects of my painting coupled with my strong feelings concerning their welfare, I decided on baby mice. They are to me are the most helpless of creatures. Every dream I have has a animal in it and most usually the appearance is that of young or baby animals.

In my own life, I constantly walk a line of joy and pain, as I am sure many of you do. There are moments when we see the triumph of mercy, kindness and goodness, in my fellow humans and then there are great periods of darkness when it seems all the earth is filled up with the pain and misery we inflicted on our fellow creatures human and animal.

The weight of innocence lost or destroyed is a heavy, heavy one.

I painted in the mouse nest and then went back after meditating more and made the hole in the concrete....like they are in the wall.

4 comments:

Maureen said...

This is extraordinary, Tracey. It's difficult to take my eyes away. Any chance you might do a series?

Unknown said...

Wow....are you going to submit this beauty to the Art Calender Self Portrait competition?

Kathleen Krucoff said...

I don't know which I enjoy more, your thoughtful reflections about the subjects that need to become part of your works or the work itself. What I can say is you are a truly gifted artist and I always look forward to seeing your paintings evolve. The self portrait continues to become more lovely.

Dean Grey said...

This looks fantastic, Tracey!

It definitely looks like you're thinking about something in this painting!

A very determined, powerful look you have!

Very unique having the mice over your head. It looks like a thought balloon and like they're actually imbedded in the wall above you at the same time.

And are those feathers on your face? Neat!

-Dean