Tiina Heiska

Image: Gabrielle JOnes, Self Portrait 2010, Digital Print

Image: Tiina Heiska "From the Hotel Series"Oil on Canvas 90 x 100cm

Discovered this artist - I love the colours, the dream like quality and also the strangeness. A bit of fear creeps in to an ostensibly beautiful image. It's rather like the self portrait I was thinking of painting - maybe I still will. But there's nothing new under the sun!

Self Portrait Calendar

Just sent my entry to the Art Calendar competition (Title Link). I actually painted this (and 8 more portraits) about 7 years ago, as an experiment in how to do the same things a lot of different ways. So I ended up with nine portraits, all 40 cm x 30 cm (16in x 12in) in a variety of poses, made from a mirror held underneath my chin, to one above my head, straight faced, smiling, perplexed (this one), non-plussed, skeptical, with mirror held also RHS and LHS side of face. The colours all go together but range from blue/green, Magenta/green. Magenta orange etc.

It was a great exercise and one that taught me a lot about intuitive colour (that's making it up, folks!) The group looks good together, but who wants a collection of self portraits hanging around the house? Maybe, when I'm famous.....

I think I might do one a year from now on - pretend I'm Rembrandt! The competition is free to enter and has some reasonable prizes, but mostly it's a bit of fun. Have a go.