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Frank

Frank, is my first nude self portrait.

As I sat in front of a mirror, nervous to look at my naked body, I discovered I am a terrible model. I struggled to maintain the same pose. To freeze myself I took a photo in the mirror to use as a reference while painting. Then I noticed the arm holding my phone created a shadow across my body. I was new to taking selfies and, although alone, I was nervous about documenting myself. I switched the phone to my other hand to move the shadow and took a second photo. As I started painting from the two reference photos I noticed I had not put any thought into where I was looking or the expression on my face. I took a third picture of my face.

Sewing these three photos together, I created an image of myself. Navigating the slightly different angles from photo to photo provided a distraction from concentrating on this body I struggle to accept.

 

Frank has taken over. Piecing this work together set me on a path to find myself at a time in my life when I had thought I had given up.

This work is dedicated to my poet. Thank you...

Frankweb.jpg
Frank, 2020
Oil on board
20"x 20"
Kristina Cain
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