Monday, July 09, 2007

Self Portrait Challenge~Elements~Air

click on the pic for best resolution....


It's been a bit over a year since I started doing these self portraits. I had a black period (when I thought I needed to go back to work) where I didn't post anything for three or four months...which when I write that down seems like such a long time, but when I look back on it, it seems like such a speck of time really. It's been an interesting endeavor that I still feel I'm right in the thick of without quite getting a grasp on something that I feel I should be grasping. Seeing as what the main subject is...myself...I'm not surprised that I still feel like I don't know what's going on! I feel like that so...all of the time!

I was really thinking about the word "air" and what I could do with that. I think, even more so than the other elements, it is the most wide open to interpretation. I liked the idea of trying to portray how I think my thoughts just float away from me, or how once they are thought they are given to the air. It seemed sort of a natural to think of balloons, as the wind is a tricky thing to represent. I mean, air is a tricky thing to represent. Always on my quest to master my Photoshop that I don't spend nearly enough time on...I went in search of balloons or how to make them. In this instance I found one in the cookie cutter tool. (Though I would have actually been happier w/ a little string trailing behind the balloon.) And when I came to figuring out what to fill the balloon(s) with...I discovered that I've been doing these self portraits for about a year. It was kind of odd to go back and look at some of them. I had forgotten about many of them. I suppose everyone who participates in SPC has several more photo's than what they actually pick.

So then it all seemed to fall into place, but still not too many good words are forming describing the "process". I decided to try my best to pick a photo from each month that I had actually participated in this, which I think is twelve, but I started to get confused by all those bloody pictures of myself, and in various stages of Photoshop or, as they say, "undress". If I'm off on the number it's only by one or two.

I thought that seemed appropriate...twelve different little representations of me. Time to let these balloons go off into the air and beyond. Each little thought that I was thinking when I took them has long since dissipated into the sky.

Life is the air we breathe.

What will the next twelve bring?





for more self portraits...go here!




11 comments:

L.M.Noonan said...

I clicked on the large version to get a better look at this Miriam, and I really like this alot.

hollibobolli said...

I love this concept - what a fabulous idea. It seems like my memories, even my life - just floats away... into the air.

What a beautiful picture.

"Life is the air we breathe."

word.

(I never thought I would have a chance to say that!! :)

Kim Carney said...

that wonderful....

daisies said...

i also clicked on the larger version and am so very impressed ... this is fantastic!! amazing really :)

Deb R said...

I clicked on the larger version too - very interesting idea, very surreal and dreamlike. I like it!

Mrs. Scuderi's Music Corner said...

Thank you for the nice comment! I like your compostion as well.

Vedrana M. said...

wonderful, i love it! :) very dreamy and so air

Anonymous said...

your self portrait make me think of those windy days when you're being pushed in different directions. i really like it.

claireylove said...

there's a wonderful, haunting ethereal quality, to this miriam, dreamlike, i'd say ~ way cool!

Melanie Margaret said...

I love the layers of your photo and how you explained your process.

thank you for sharing your journey!

faye said...

Woah, I *LOVE* this! What a vision from your imagination. Yes, must be close up. Thanks for sharing this expression of SP; it may be my favorite so far. :)