King of the Castle

I did this selfie as a challenge during the 2020 shutdown from Covid19. It gave me something to focus on at a moment when the whole world seemed to be confused and uncertain.

As an artist, I choose to work alone in my studio for extended periods of time. It is a choice for me which is very different from an imposed quarantine. This quarantine, that so many are enduring, brings with it doubts and fears but it also brings clarity to those things we hold dear.

Browsing through social media I heard somebody use the phrase "King of the Castle." I decided to use that as the theme for my self portrait.

As I watch people around the world including friends and family, all dealing with the ramifications of this virus and the self-quarantining, I realized that my home and studio was like a castle, a place of safety, and so I became "King of the Castle."

Part of the challenge was to use whatever materials were on hand in the studio, so I took my palette and mahl stick as my shield and spear, and a crown made of cardboard, I was ready to begin.

Painting a self-portrait is a unique challenge, this is a subject you can never sit in front of, you can never look directly into your own face, and so the starting point for this painting was a photo taken with my phone this seemed appropriate considering the role that the phone has taken during this crisis.

Taking a photograph was in itself a challenge, setting the self timer, 10 seconds to strike a pose, but after many attempts I got a photograph that I was happy with. From this I produced a simple drawing which I transferred to the canvas.

For the next step I produced an underpainting using an oil paint wipeout technique, after allowing this to dry I then made my first pass blocking in larger areas of color. For this portrait I made the decision to use a limited palette, Ivory Black, titanium white, Vermilion Red and Yellow Ocher, later in the painting I added Ultramarine Blue.

This was followed by a second and third pass, to balance and refine. At this point I turned my attention to the background. At a time when many are looking inwards, I could have chosen to place myself inside the studio, but I made the decision to be in a landscape, free from the walls of my castle.

The final steps in the painting include the addition of some glazes, highlights and finishing touches.

As a final thought, my sense of isolation has been eased by having this project to focus on.