In progress, Self-Portrait in charcoal

Self-Portrait 1
Charcoal on paper
38 x 25 1/2 inches

First initial stage.

This past week has been a tumultuous one at home so today I decided to play hooky from work and make a self-portrait.  I hadn't made a self-portrait since I was an undergraduate at Humboldt State University.  I started this at about 9 this morning and stopped working around 3 in the afternoon with a break for lunch and letting the dog out occasionally.

Dirty hands at lunchtime.

Making art is one of the most therapeutic endeavors I know of.  Personally, it helps me forget about the world around me and allows me to focus on something I enjoy.  I found so much peace today in the simple rubbing of the charcoal into the paper.  While making this I also listened to the dead Can Dance album Toward the Within.  With the combination of good music and making art I found myself lost in the shapes, lines and values of the charcoal.  Total bliss.

2 1/2 hours into it.

I plan on finishing this in the next couple of days of which I will put it up for sale on dailypaintworks.com.  Look for it!! -M