Kathi Dugan: Self Portrait

On a blustery late October day I was approached by the owner of OnTray Magazine, Joe Chinzi. He was looking for a cover photo, to be done by an artist, one for which he could feature an inside article. As his magazine is primarily about food and restaurants and, as we were coming into the Dec. and Jan. issue (Christmas!), I began immediately to think simple, fun gingerbread houses, snow men and frosted trees. No. "Can you paint a portrait of yourself, in the style of Norman Rockwell, where he is looking in the mirror and sitting on a stool?" Oh. Not what I expected. "We will feature some more of your art and a bio on the inside pages." Realizing that this was going to be a time consuming endeavor on my part, I swept a few personal goals aside and accepted the challenge. I staged a whole scene, using personal items from my studio and employed the services of a photographer friend to capture me as the model within the set up, giving me an accurate reference photo. The effort was time consuming but I enjoyed the challenge! It was fun painting the many different elements, especially my black chair, my red paint box and the articles on my little side table. I found my striped shirt to be the most difficult to paint, as it made me dizzy, following the folds and curves of the lines and keeping them in a manner that made sense!
Joe was pleased with the results; my painting graced the cover of the 2014 OnTray Dec/Jan issue. And I, of course, sent many copies out to family members, close friends and clients who took pleasure in the fleeting moment of publicity as much as did I.
Acrylic on canvas.