Monday, October 20, 2008

unveiling...

Woman in Pearls.

In Jane's post about 200 things you have done or not done, #147 was: had your portrait painted.

I have.

About 15 years ago, we were living in Seattle and we had an artist friend. He wanted to work on portraiture and asked if I would pose for him. I obliged. I admit, I was curious to see what the artist would see in me.

When he gave me the portrait, I was somewhat perplexed. I just didn't see it. So Marc and I named it Woman in Pearls.

And guess what? When we were working on our gargantuan garage-cleaning project on Saturday, we found it.



So what do you think? Do you see me?

It's funny, now that I'm seeing it again after all these years, it's not as bad as I thought. I wish I had that nose, though.

21 comments:

marc said...

It does capture a certain "je ne sais quoi" now doesn't it?

stacy{s} said...

The question is...is the artist successful now? :)

I personally don't see you in there at all...other than the hair color. funny how people "see" things isn't it.

what a fun thing to have though!

Unknown said...

those are sad eyes. and your eyes are so bright!! they eyes break it for me.

but i agree with stacy - it is so interesting how different people "see" different things.

Neighbor Jane Payne said...

Oh definitely the color of the lips with the painted line around them. You always keep your lips colorfuly, pretty and well-defined :)

I do think your eyebrows arch in the same way, too.

I'm having to look for details to find the resemblance, though :)

Unknown said...

I see you in the shape of the lips but that is about it. :)

carlo said...

hmmm. i am not sure i see it.

though, i too, wonder what an artist would see if i had a painting done...

amy gretchen said...

I think I would have to do oblige too. I'd be curious.

I have to admit I don't really see much of you in it. I mean if someone told me to guess who it was I wouldn't have said you. She does have beautiful full lips like you. It's cool that you rediscovered it.

charlotte said...

The lips, yes; the rest of it, not so much. Huh. That is fun to have found it again!

TX Girl said...

I guess you could just say that sometimes art is the artist interpretation of a subject.

The eyes freak me out a bit.

patsy said...

what the hell- You are 1000x's more gorgeous than that weird picture.

Okay I was going to delete that off the cuff remark, but I just can't make myself... I hope you are not offended?! But seriously- I don't see you in there at all. You are so darling & that is just strange.

April said...

That is just plain disturbing. Remind me to never get myself actually self-portraited.

Liz said...

I think he captured your lips...but that is about it. I wonder if you got a portrait painted now how it would turn out? My mom has done one portrait, of my two girls. It sort of looked like them...but it also freaked me out. It was my Christmas gift about 3-4 years ago....but is still hanging in her house.

April said...

I came back to say that that nose has nothing on the real thing. So there, gorgeous.

Robyn said...

I don't want to be critical but I don't see you in this portrait. I agree with the lips, yes, but the rest not really. I guess that's what an 'artist' is though, right? Seeing things a different way, a new perspective... I would like to see how the artist would portray other people so I could compare. It's a cool thing to have anyway.

Bond Girl 007 said...

This is a great great post michelle...i must say, i have had at least 4 or 5 done on me...half of my family does not see me in a couple of them, but i do see myself...on another ocassion, i did not like how it turned out so immediately, i did it again....with someone else...I think art fascinates me and the coolest thing is that it is soooo subjective. I think I can see an air of you in it. I mean the hair is straight for one and shorter and away from your face, but I do think that there is an essense about you...more a feeling...I think your eyes are a bit more separated and that throws it a bit, but people transform as time goes on and here you have evolved (i mean the present) I loved how you named it. I think it is justa different look and one perhaps that you used to be at one time? And on comming across it after some years...How could you not see it...it looks rather large....actually you look quite stylish and that is not a bad thing at all

wende said...

well...are you sure it was you he was painting? patsy is right, you're way more gorgeous than this. you're younger too, this looks like a portait of an older lady, definitely NOT your eyes. i guess maybe lips and chin but i don't know.

it is a beautiful portait though, just not of you!

Unknown said...

I keep coming back to this pic and I also see the shading of your chin as being pretty close. You have that pretty little cleft of sorts in your chin that he captured. Just a darkening right in the middle.

I don't feel like he got the eyes right but I do see some of you in it. Just an essence in the lower part of the painting.

I love the coloring he used in the hair. I actually quite like the whole painting if but for the eyes. I wish he could have captured the shape and the spark!

Denise said...

I also see a bit of your lips, and I kind of remember you wearing your hair like that in the 90's. Other than that, I don't see much resemblance. I agree with Stacy{s} comment that the real question should be, "How successful is the artist now?"

P.S.: Sarah just came up behind me while I was reading the post and asked, "Ew, what is that creepy picture?" So there you have it--looks nothing like you!

Jill said...

I never knew this about you! How is that possible?

I think the portrait has the essence of you and the hair of you, but I think the eyes are off.

Amy said...

I don't see you in this at all, but I've never met you in real life. Hm...

Barb said...

I am so glad I scrolled down to see what I've missed these past couple of weeks. This one is fascinating and makes me want to get my portrait done if it would turn out cool and unusual and not so much like me that I'd be embarassed to hang it. I say put it up in your house!

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