Self Portrait

"Tough Girl" (20 x 20 acrylic) by Faith Goldstein fine art

(photograph)

It's been too many years to count, since I've attempted a self-portrait... in college, I used prismacolor pencils to draw several that I termed "auto-biographical"...which in my mind, left me with an 'out' if they didn't look exactly like me! With the unexpected, real-life detours that my life is taking now, I had the thought to try it again... maybe just to remind myself that I am still here. .........The photograph was taken on a very short trip with my daughter to a familiar place we've visited before. I never really settled in to 'vacation mode'... and hadn't yet put the requisite smile on my face for the photograph. We only were able to stay over for one night and hadn't even ventured into bathing suits and the beautiful pool. With just an hour before check-out time, I suggested that we go down and atleast put our feet in the little kids play pool. Both the sun and the water felt great. I wanted a few pictures to remember this brief escape into fun (and, someone else's life). ......When I saw the photo, I loved it... I look serious for all that is a part of my current journey.... but, I thought also.... "Tough Girl in the Kiddie Pool" would be a fitting title. So that was my working title, while painting the portrait, except, with the word "Detail-" in front of it, to mean that it is... I am... a part of something much bigger than what you see; in the painting and on this Journey.