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"I don't know what to expect, I've never done anything like this before. Will it be an enjoyable experience? or difficult, maybe uncomfortable? Live adventurously, I tell myself firmly, & drive warily to my first sitting...
I'm met by a reassuringly friendly & elegant artist, Phyllis, and shown into an airy space full of light and life from the tall windows and the colourful canvasses hung around the whitewashed walls, depicting local views, riots of greenery and irresistible flowers.
There's a comfortable-looking chair placed in front of an easel and stool, and a couple of my favourite scarves are duly draped across the back of it. |
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After a welcome coffee, I sit down, and The Work begins...
It’s much harder than it sounds than hold one position - every now and then I become aware of an insistent itch in my eyebrow or an aching muscle in my neck that can only be relieved by a tiny movement, which Phyllis will instantly be aware of.
And when we break off for a rest, I will need to return to exactly that position, noting carefully how the objects in my line of sight relate to each other, and how my neck muscles in particular feel, to get my head at just the right angle. It's quite a strange feeling, and not altogether comfortable, having someone look at you with such measuring intensity for such a long time. |
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The radio burbles away in the background; I find it hard not to respond to the news stories and the dilemmas of the characters in plays. I can stop myself speaking out loud, but the eyebrows still twitch in surprise, nostrils flare in annoyance and dimples flash with amusement despite my best efforts at stillness. And although she doesn't say anything, the tiny movements that put life and character in my face are somehow visible in Phyllis's portrait of me, which is what makes it so special. It's not just a record of my features, like a posed photograph; you can clearly see the imps of amusement round my mouth, the patient, watchful mother-of-five in my eyes and the incipient matriarch's imperious brow! |
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It took four sittings in all. I knew as soon as I saw the first rough sketch, full of character and life, that I was going to like the finished article. My friends and family are particularly awed by the accuracy with which she has depicted the colours in my skin and the shape of my face, in what look at first glance like a few almost casual brushstrokes. But the more you look at the picture, the more you see... And now I have an image of myself that somehow encompasses both the physical realities of my face and the quirks of character and experience that make me who I am. All in all, a thoroughly worthwhile experience and an excellent adventure." |
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