non-literal self portraits
These pieces began as letters to myself—more introspective than journal entries, and driven by a desire to “picture” myself in a new environment or emotional atmosphere.
I started with simple watercolor paintings, which I tore into halves or quarters and mounted onto sanded pastel boards. I layered over them with blocks and marks of pastel to build dimension and texture. The process was both deliberate and intuitive: I would edit the original letters and ultimately insert torn fragments directly into the reimagined terrains, creating a sense of formal tension and concealment—only parts of the writing are visible.
Many of these works became diptychs. Though they bear no resemblance to traditional diptychs—like ancient hinged tablets—I was drawn to the format because of the personal nature of the writing. In my mind, they opened like a book, revealing pieces of myself in both image and word.
I started with simple watercolor paintings, which I tore into halves or quarters and mounted onto sanded pastel boards. I layered over them with blocks and marks of pastel to build dimension and texture. The process was both deliberate and intuitive: I would edit the original letters and ultimately insert torn fragments directly into the reimagined terrains, creating a sense of formal tension and concealment—only parts of the writing are visible.
Many of these works became diptychs. Though they bear no resemblance to traditional diptychs—like ancient hinged tablets—I was drawn to the format because of the personal nature of the writing. In my mind, they opened like a book, revealing pieces of myself in both image and word.
