Sellisternian: A self-portrait playing out in twelve parts and across the four seasons.
Epilogue
Four months, sixteen journal updates, twelve ink sketches, twelve final paintings, a lot of swearing at the website building interface and a bunch of sketchbook pages later and Sellisternian is complete!
Going in I was intimidated by the combination of self-portraiture, working at a larger scale than usual and maintaining a 'mission' and idea over so many months and paintings. I wanted to push the self expression in my work and put all I'd learned about my materials to good, tangible use. I also wanted to practice talking about my work and find a place and a method for this that suited me and didn't get in the way of the actual work.
I'm pleased to say that creating Sellisternian has nudged me forward in all these areas. I feel more capable than I did going in and am energised to take what I've learned in to new work. Most importantly, I feel better about letting self expression in to my work. When you have a brain like mine the world can feel very sharp and unwelcoming but I think that Sellisternian can be my 'antidote', a reminder of the things that I cherish and enjoy about my experiences. So whether or not anyone else enjoys looking at these paintings, I do!
So, what next? I'm going to spend some time messing around in sketchbooks and on smaller, quicker projects but I would like to do another big series before the end of the year. Making Sellisternian has shown me that I'm capable of completing a collection and that there's a lot to learn from doing so. Documenting the process has given me a crash course in talking about my work and process and I will continue to do so here on my website.
Probably not weekly, though! Going forward I'll update the website on the last day of each month, uploading completed sketchbooks and projects along with a 'diary' entry summarising my month as an artist. This will help me be mindful of my process and progress while giving me a record to look back on in the future. Maybe it will be interesting for others to read too, who knows?
Before I close I'd like to acknowledge the VACMA grant that enabled me to build this website and buy all sorts of tools, surfaces, books and materials for the past four months of work. Money can't buy inspiration but inspiration can't buy A1 portfolio sleeves! I'll link the details below and if you're a working-class artist/crafter/crafty artist who happens to be reading this and would like my personal experience and advice on the process you are very welcome to email me at nappingbynoon@gmail.com
Cheers,
Ailsa
