Fran Beallor

SELF 2010

In 2010 I drew a self-portrait every day for a year for the third time. I was nervous to look at my older self in the mirror each day but In fact, I found my face more complex and interesting. It was liberating to use a digital camera to capture myself from unusual angles without needing several mirrors.

In 2000, I created 366 self-portraits in various of media and sizes. In 2010, I made each drawing the same size and chose a theme for each day of the week: Sunday and Monday I was inspired by the sun and the moon. Tuesday I explored thoughts, Wednesday I did line drawings, and on Thursday I created various series. Fridays I investigated feelings and each Saturday I drew just one eye.

Working within these constraints was intriguing, stimulating what felt like endless possibilities, and new ways to look into myself in a deeper way. As I do these series, I learn the vocabulary of my own features and forms, bearing witness to the changes of time and aging, and through that, a broader experience of being human.