Face-lift (Before-After): 2009.11.03

Face-lift (Before-After): 2009.11.03, originally uploaded by Julia Kay (Limited internet for awhile).

On the left: Chalk pastel and water soluble crayon, 18 X 24 inches, 1990.01.01
On the right: Plastic surgery via Juxtaposer App on my iThing 2009.11.03 The only source is the one drawing, I just duplicated parts and moved them around.

I've always been fond of this piece but wished the eyes weren't so close together. Once I started adjusting it, however, I found many other things that were 'wrong'. Can you find 10 changes? It's different - but is it better?

Commuter Train Portrait: 2009.11.02

Commuter Train Portrait: 2009.11.02, originally uploaded by Julia Kay (Limited internet for awhile).

Brushes on iThing
From reflection in train window
5-10 minutes

Ordinary Continuous Contour Line Self-Portrait: 2009.11.01

Ordinary Continuous Contour Line Self-Portrait: 2009.11.01, originally uploaded by Julia Kay (Limited internet for awhile).

Brushes App on iThing
30-90 seconds
Right (dominant)-handed and eyes open.
From imagination

The Heart of the Matter (Paula Rego's The Family): 2009.10.31

Week 35: Paula Rego: The Heart of the Matter: 2009.10.31, originally uploaded by Julia Kay (Limited internet for awhile).

Brushes App on iThing and Photoshop on macBook.
Directly from photo of Paula Rego's 1991 painting 'The Family'.
60-90 minutes.

This is my final take on this painting (at least for now). Although there is no scene exactly like this in my past, there is some sordid family sexual shenanigans that I've never gotten around to painting, drawing, or even writing about. So I take the story of this family to have metaphoric resonance as my family's story... and thus once again slip it in under my ever-expanding definition of self-portrait.

Walk A Mile in Someone Else's Shoes (Paula Rego's The Family): 2009.10.30

Week 35: Paula Rego: Walk A Mile in Someone Else's Shoes: 2009.10.30, originally uploaded by Julia Kay (Limited internet for awhile).

Brushes App on iThing
Directly and freehand from a photo of the original painting.
60-90 minutes.

Another excerpt from Paula Rego's 1991 painting 'Family'. I think the feet tell alot of the story! However, I'm not sure if I'm walking in the inner shoes, the outer shoes, or globally in Paula Rego's shoes. All three, I guess. One more day before I take these shoes off.

One Booted Foot (Paula Rego's The Family): 2009.10.29

Week 35: Paula Rego: One Booted Foot: 2009.10.29, originally uploaded by Julia Kay (Possibly offline for a few days).

I was trying to imagine myself into all the characters of Paual Rego's painting 'Family' but the roles are really quite uncomfortable. Last night I really couldn't get further than one bootied foot.

Body Language (Paula Rego's The Family): 2009.10.28

Week 35: Paula Rego: Body Language: 2009.10.28, originally uploaded by Julia Kay (Possibly offline for a few days).

This is from another section of Paula Rego's 1991 painting 'Family'. I've drawn myself as the short, sturdy woman by the window watching the rest of the scene unfold.

This is part of my Daily Portrait Project, in which I make a non-photographic image of myself every day and post it on the web. It can be viewed in it's entirety at studiojuliakay.com/portraitproject.

If I Were a Member of Paula Rego's 'Family': 2009.10.27

Week 35: Paula Rego: If I Were a Member of Paula Rego's 'Family': 2009.10.27, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

This is based on one of the characters in the painter Paula Rego's 1991 'Family'.

This is my second version drawing myself based on this figure, and this time it's a little closer to my actual coloring/complexion. I tried putting in my ever-present glasses, but took them out again - I thought they were too much of a bold graphic element and took away from the play of light on the face.

Interestingly, the wikipedia article says she's only ever made one self-portrait. However, when I look at the photos of her and the people she paints, I see her in them - sort of the way Kathe Kollwitz' portraits of other people usually have the deepset eyes that she herself had.

Self-Portrait in the Style of Paula Rego (First Try): 2009.10.26

Week 34: Paula Rego: Self-Portrait in the Style of Paula Rego (First Try): 2009.10.26, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Looking too much like the source and not enough even pretending to be me...

Royal Blue T-Shirt (Abstract Self-Portrait): 2009.10.25

Royal Blue T-Shirt (Abstract Self-Portrait): 2009.10.25, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Well, what we can see here is Nptr and Brushes apps on iThing, in that order.

But the source for Nptr was a failed Juxtaposer App montage of at least half a dozen past portraits in a variety of media, both digital and analog.

Hair Tumbling Down Like Sahara Gold: 2009.10.24

Hair Tumbling Down Like Sahara Gold: 2009.10.24, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Juxtaposer App on iThing, juxtaposing too many different images including monoprints, oil pastels, chalk pastels, oil paints, watercolor crayons, etc.

Process, Process, Process: 2009.10.23

Process, Process, Process: 2009.10.23, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

1. Over the past XX years I made alot of drawings and paintings.
2. I used Juxtaposer to collage a bunch of them together on my iThing
3. I used PhotoTwist on my iThing to distort the already distorted collaged images
4. I used Brushes to trace the distorted collage and then eliminate it
5. I tried to use Layers to color it but even though you can now have rectangular paintings, you can only import a square part of your image - which Layers will then stretch to fit the rectangle. This might have been a fun way to distort an image but I already had enough distortion
6. Back to Brushes to add the color.

Early Oily: 2009.10.22

Early Oily: 2009.10.22, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Juxtaposer App on iThing, collaging three portraits from 1989.
I believe all three were done from life/mirror.

The two early oil paintings were done the same week in March - and the stabilo watercolor pencil/washes drawing was done later that year in December, after I had moved into a different apt and studio.

Amusingly, one of the oils was done on 3/15, a pre-anniversary of the beginning of my Daily Portrait Project.

I guess I had a consistent view of myself that year, because the match on the mouth blows me away - that's an exact split down the middle between one of the oil paintings and the watercolor pencil drawing from 9 months later.

Who is That Masked Woman: 2009.10.21

Who is That Masked Woman: 2009.10.21, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Still Juxtaposing on my iThing. I lost track since I try alot of things and then take them out, but I think this final image has only three sources, and two of them were also in the striped piece a couple days ago. It's one oil painting, one chalk pastel, and one watercolor, and there's about a 30 year spread between the oil painting and the watercolor. Come to think of it, the pastel was about halfway in between - very satisfying.

L S Lowry and Me: 2009.10.20

L S Lowry and Me: 2009.10.20, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Juxtaposer App on my iThing. One iThing typedrawing mashed-up with one portrait by the English Painter LS Lowry

I was recently introduced to LS Lowry's work by my finger-painting friends on flickr, and couldn't resisit mashing up pne of his portraits with one of mine.

Stripes of Me: 2009.10.19

Stripes of Me: 2009.10.19, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Juxtaposer App on iThing to combine a mere 5 images - 3 digital, 1 chalk pastel, 1 watercolor.

Purple Ruff: 2009.10.18

Purple Ruff: 2009.10.18, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Juxtaposer App on iThing, this time composed entirely from paintings: 1 oil painting and 6 acrylic paintings.

Jungle Camouflage Coat of Many Colors: 2009.10.17

Jungle Camouflage Coat of Many Colors: 2009.10.17, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Yes, I'm in there, it *is* another self-portrait :)

Juxtaposer App on my iThing, this time bringing together exactly 4 images - an ink drawing (no longer directly visible), two acrylic paintings and a scratch-away drawing that had had color added in photoshop. Manipulation upon manipulation upon manipulation...

This one was pretty quick, probably less than an hour.

Gift of Laughter: 2009.10.16

Week 33: Madonno & Child: Gift of Laughter: 2009.10.16, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Ah, so many tangents about this piece...

It was once again done with Juxtaposer App on my iThing, making use of my existing portfolio. However, except for the pen drawing, everything else was part of an actual cut paper collage to begin with, so it's a digital collage of analog collages. I don't really want to think about how long it took...

This is for my father, whose birthday was last week. He was killed by a drunk driver when I was 15. Too soon, too young, but not before he gave me many gifts, and one was laughter. Actually, both my parents had good senses of humor - my father's was physical and political; while my mother tended to word play. To this day, my best friends are those that can crack me up - and who laugh at my jokes, too.

Julia in the Sky with Oba: 2009.10.15

Julia in the Sky with Oba: 2009.10.15, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Juxtaposer App on my iThing, juxtaposing drawings, paintings and cut paper collages, including a portrait of Oba, my favorite dog ever.

Probably took a couple hours; I did it in several sessions over the course of the day, including on the train to work, waiting for school to start, and listening to after-dinner conversation among friends, one of whom reminded me that these last two pieces are also visually related to my scratch-away drawings.

A Different Kind of Juxtaposition: 2009.10.14

A Different Kind of Juxtaposition: 2009.10.14, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Still 'digitally redigesting' as as Jerry Waese so wonderfully called it, but with a somewhat different style, more reminiscent of my solid color paper cuts. These can be seen by clicking the collage link on the right sidebar.

2009.10.13 Flashback to My Twenties

2009.10.13 Flashback to My Twenties, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

nptr and juxtaposer on my iThing

As the rest of this week, collaging an array of acrylic paintings, pastel drawings, monoprints, digital fingerpainting, etc. into something new.

Took several hours - but not as long as color copier, exacto knife and glue would take (though the resolution would be much better)

Urbane Urban Turban: 2009.10.12

Urbane Urban Turban: 2009.10.12, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Little Scream: 2009.10.11

Little Scream: 2009.10.11, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Juxtaposer on my iThing.
From almost a dozen prior paintings, drawings, and digital images, including:

Acrylic paint
Brush markers
Charcoal
Colors! app on iThing
Oil paint
Pastel
Pen
Watercolor

It's a contest! Find them all to win big prizes! (Only kidding!!)

Maybe They're Right, My Glasses Are Too Big For My Face: 2009.10.10

Maybe They're Right, My Glasses Are Too Big For My Face: 2009.10.10, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Today's work was with Juxtaposer App on my iThing. However, I used Juxtaposer to collage together parts from more than half a dozen past portraits, including two facial features that were originally parts of paintings of dogs, and a neck and torso that was a traditional paper collage/cut-out (a la Matisse) to begin with. Total processes used to make this piece:

Juxtaposer App on iThing
Acrylic paint on canvas
Acrylic paint on masonite
Acrylic paint on paper
Monoprint on paper
Sharpie marker and oil pastel on paper
Brush magic markers on paper
Cut archival fine art papers

I definitely see a series starting, I think I'll call it "Stealing From Myself".

Collage Me: 2009.10.09

Collage Me: 2009.10.09, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

I was going to draw another rif on a Romare Bearden collage, when I realized I could make a collage from my many "me"s, using the Juxtaposer App on my iThing and my portfolio loaded into the photo library. This is composed from 7-8 previous self-portraits, in different media, including brush markers and watercolors.

Wishing I Was at the Beach: 2009.10.08

Wishing I Was at the Beach: 2009.10.08, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Fun with gradients thanks to iDoodle2 on my iThing.
From imagination.
310 X 459 pixels.
A couple short sessions over the course of the day.

I'm a Little Dubious (& Maybe Suspicious, Too): 2009.10.07

I'm a Little Dubious (& Maybe Suspicious, Too): 2009.10.07, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Colors! App on my iThing (tilting the device changes line thickness).
From imagination.
I made about 10, each took about 5-10 minutes, this was the last one.

My Turn - Pick Me!: 2009.10.06

Paintbook App on my iThing.
Drawn freehand from reference photo and imagination.
297 X 503 pixels.

This is a pretty wacked rif on a fragment of a mixed media (collage, paint, etc) piece by Romare Bearden called Of the Blues: Mecklenburg County, Saturday Night.1974, in which I imagine myself in a different time and place, but still eager to answer questions.

I'm a big fan of Bearden's work but tonight I pretty much pulled an art book off the shelf at random, opened it to a random page, and got to work...

Although stylistically quite quite different, something about the pose definitely does relate to yesterday's rif on Giaocometti's Man Pointing.

Dottie Knit Me Another Fabulous Hat: 2009.10.05

Dottie Knit Me Another Fabulous Hat: 2009.10.05, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Sharpie marker and oil pastel on watercolor paper.
4 X 6 inches.
40 minutes.
From life (mirror)

Look What I Drew (Mom)!: 2009.10.04

Look What I Drew (Mom)!: 2009.10.04, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

This one's for my friend, the painter Linda Foust, who suggested I hide my iThing somewhere in every drawing... which I won't be doing but I couldn't resist at least one more...

Brushes and JacksonPollack Apps on my iThing. From life and imagination. About an hour.

For a Change, I Drew Myself on My iPod Touch: 2009.10.03

For a Change, I Drew Myself on My iPod Touch: 2009.10.03, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Sorry... post is running late but drawing was made last night...
On my iThing in the Colors! app from imagination.

Purple Bandaid: 2009.10.02

Looking Professional: 2009.10.01

Looking Professional: 2009.10.01, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Sketchbook Mobile App on iThing.
Directly from photo.
About 60 minutes.
400 X 524 pixels.

It's Getting to be Warm Hat Season Again: 2009.09.30

It's Getting to be Warm Hat Season Again: 2009.09.30, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Acrylic Paint and Sharpie Marker on paper.
4 X 6 inches
10 minutes
From mirror
"Naive Filter" applied by left hand.

Sketchbook - I'm Loving the Brushes but Hating the Interface: 2009.09.29

Sketchbook - I'm Loving the Brushes but Hating the Interface: 2009.09.29, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Sketchbook App on my iThing
Worked on it on at least three different occasions - still learning my way around the App.
Channeling the colorful style of my long-haired youth.

Among Many Art Supplies, I Chose to Draw on my iThing: 2009.09.28

Among Many Art Supplies, I Chose to Draw on my iThing: 2009.09.28 , originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Paintbook App on iThing and Photoshop on MacBook.
Freehand from photos.
60 minutes.

Don't Look at Me Like That, Young Lady!: 2009.09.27

2009.09.27 Don't Look at Me Like That, Young Lady!, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Colors! on iThing
From Imagination

I Had an Idea: 2009.09.26

I Had an Idea: 2009.09.26, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Colors! App on iThing & Photoshop on macBook.
From imagination.
Me: 5 minutes
Light Bulb: 30 minutes.

Tonight We Chanted Ohm for Ann: 2009.09.25

Brushes App on iThing.
Drawn freehand from photos.
30 - 40 minutes (didn't seem that long!)
1890 X 1968 pixels.

Self Portrait as an Evil Librarian: 2009.09.23

Self Portrait as an Evil Librarian: 2009.09.23, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

With no disrespect to the actual librarians out there, as they're among my heros, and I never have met an evil one!

I had a symmetry effect on so I drew one side and the program mirrored. Interestingly I realized after doing several of these that I was always drawing the left side...

320X480 pixels
sketchbookx on my ithing
5 min
from imagination

What, No Green?: 2009.09.23

What, No Green?: 2009.09.23, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

People I haven't seen in a few weeks are still commenting on how short my hair is after my buzz cut, but from my point of view it has already gotten quite long! I will need alot of haircuts to maintain it that short, which I'm not going to do, much as I liked it that way. I guess it will just grow out again for the winter.

Acrylic on paper.
4 X 6 inches.
10-15 minutes.
From life/mirror.
Left-handed/eyes open.

Flummoxed: 2009.09.22

Flummoxed: 2009.09.22, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Jackson Pollack and Brushes Apps on iThing.
From imagination.
I usually say how long it took... I did about half a dozen 'quick' drawings to get one that I thought was interesting. So do I count all the minutes of all the drawings or only the minutes of this drawing? Well, really I know an artist who answers 'my whole life' to that 'how long did it take?' question because all the art you made before helps to form the art you're making now and without your whole life you wouldn't be able to make what you're making...

OK, end of ramble - bed time for me!

impossibly young in Pisa on an overcast day in the 80s: 2009.09.21

Week 30: impossibly young in Pisa on an overcast day in the 80s: 2009.09.21, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Flipping through some old photo albums, I couldn't believe how baby-faced I was in all the pictures from my 9 month trip around Europe 1987/1988. Back then you could still climb the tower and stand under the outer arcades; I understand it's closed now.

Brushes App on iThing.
1920 X 2880 pixels.
Freehand from photos.
At least an hour - I lost track.

Sunday Night, and Then the Week Begins Again...: 2009.09.20

Sunday Night, and Then the Week Begins Again...: 2009.09.20, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Inspire App on iThing.
286 X 392 pixels
From imagination
~ 1 hr;

Conclusion: not as frustrating as last time but still not the most 'natural' to use of the draw/painting apps. Makes a nice enough mark but I'm not seeing it as much different than Brushes

On the Granite in the Sierra Nevada: 2009.09.19

Week 29: Small: On the Granite in the Sierra Nevada: 2009.09.19, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Brushes App on iThing.
1920 X 2880 pixels.
Drawn freehand from a photo.
15-20 minutes.

In the mountains I know the world is huge and magnificent and I am small and insignificant; and this is a good thing.

Color Makes Me Happy: 2009.09.18

Color Makes Me Happy (1): 2009.09.18, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Aristocratic Profile in Thin Green Lines: 2009.09.17

Aristocratic Profile in Thin Green Lines: 2009.09.17, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Brushes App on iThing.
309X401 pixels.
Freehand from photo.
30 minutes.

Don't Worry About the Details: 2009.09.16

Brushes App on iThing.
Freehand from photo.
60 minutes.
320 X 480 pixels.

I spent the evening flowcharting computer program logic: 2009.09.15

I spent the evening flowcharting computer program logic: 2009.09.15, originally uploaded by Julia Kay.

Pen on paper.
7.5 X 5 inches.
From life.
5-10 minutes.