In January, my best friends and I went to see The Complete Frida Kahlo exhibit in San Diego (which is now extended to June 8th!) It is an exhibit which shows 123 replicas of her work in the exact sizes and style. I have to warn you. It is a lot of art to look at. I spent almost 4 hours there. I love Frida Kahlo's work because she freely and openly told the world about her life and pain through her art. Her portraits hold so much meaning and heart. I left there absolutely overwhelmed and inspired. But I didn't know how to take what I saw and incorporate it into my own art. That is when my best friend, Lydia, gave me the idea to do a series of self-portraits in the same style and poses of Frida, and replace her pets with my Mizzles. I loved this idea.
It kind of worked out for me that my Intermediate/ Advanced Students were about to begin a colored pencil self-portrait. This was the perfect opportunity for me to create this artwork while creating an example for my students. It has been a few years since I've created anything in colored pencil. I forgot how much I love to blend and burnish.
