because I was the only one available to model at that time,
and I also wanted people to get to know me better.
My self-portrait shows my relationship with God.”
-Akiane
***
...Painting herself took Akiane through what were probably some of the most difficult and frustrating weeks she experienced. The family couldn't afford a big mirror, so now she was holding a palm-sized mirror and trying to accurately portray both the proportions and the hues. She did have a few reference snapshots she used, but mostly she arranged colors, forms and background from her own imagination. Once while painting herself, she was having difficulty finding the appropriate flesh tint, so she simply dabbed the mixed color right onto her nose to make sure it matched her own skin tone…
My Sight Cannot Wait for Me
I can not stop holding my brush-
On the blank canvas I sign...
With blind-folded balance I paint my own eyes
Blue is the color of the mind...
Do God's footprints follow His footsteps
Nobody hears what I see...
We can not trespass our Creator-
My sight can not wait for me...
My Sight Cannot Wait For Me "Self Portrait"
Acrylic on canvas, Age 8 (2003) 36" x 48" Original & Prints Available