It was dancer Margot Fonteyn who said "Always take your work seriously, but never take yourself seriously. The former is essential, and the latter a disaster". She was right, we should never take ourselves too seriously, or we risk becoming boring old farts.
In this 'Self-Portrait' (with the above title) I'm having a bit of a dig at myself, and my lifestyle.
Of course I'm a bit of a bonviveur; I'm known for it, but mine is a very low-key version. I wouldn't be living where I do if I didn't enjoy some of the finer things in life. Head in the clouds? Maybe to a certain extent, but I do have my feet very firmly on the ground. I'm more staid than flighty.
And so to the Lizards which are part of everyday life here. When it's warm they scuttle about everywhere. They give the place an 'animated' feeling. It is a firm visual difference between my native Surrey/Sussex, and here.
That's it, a very readable painting that tells a simple story.
27 comments:
Love the painting, not so sure about the lizards. Like the look of them at a distance but don't want them round my feet.
The little Wall Lizards are not at all scary, the bigger Green Lizards are a bit more so, but only because they move so quickly.
Your clouds look a bit like a big bagel , may you felt hungry while painting.I like the lizards.
Is it a cloud or a slipped halo? Lizards are bearable but French insects not.
I have my head in the clouds often enough, but my feet are very firmly planted here on earth. I have a family of geckos living in a pot on my front porch.
I like Geckos; but we don't have them here. Ours are mostly the little Wall Lizards.
We have our annual infestation of Hornets at the moment. Stay in Blighty!
I don't eat Bagels, I prefer Croissants.
A Bagel with houmous is quite good.
I like the painting but I don't 'get it'. That is my poor art education, not the artist's.
You're not alone.
Hmmmm.
Our walled courtyard was always alive with lizards. The iridescent big greenies were more elusive, very shy.
I rather like it
Not my style at all , but I do find it interesting
I saw a green one today. They've been very shy this year, I've only seen him 2 or 3 times.
My work is not to everyone's taste; just like most painters.
I think the world would be a far better place if more people had their heads in the clouds instead of up their --- never mind.
A bit of Gaughan vibe there. Interesting painting. Lizards eat bugs is a good thing.
I like that notion. Maybe I'm starting a trend.
I don't think there's a bad side to Lizards; they are all good.
Hmmmmmm
I think the cloud looks like an overblown halo. Not your style at all.
For me, the individual with their head in the clouds seem very idealistic. Choosing to live in a dream world and not reality suits some people very well. When I lived in Arizona for a year, at night the lizards were on the sidewalks everywhere cooling themselves in the night air. Stepping on a lizard was awful.
You'd be surprised, I'm very angelic.
Our Lizards only come out in daytime when it's warm, and are far too quick to step on!
If you had not explained this, I might have thought it was the Friendly Giant! You do look rather serene sitting there :)
Does she mean Gauguin ? Only an American is able to write it like that. A good laugh !
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