Allegorical Self-Portrait

*Medium: India ink, charcoal, black and white conte.

Size: 5x8'

Topic: Create a life size, full body self-portrait putting yourself within a space that can be rendered conceptually and aesthetically interesting.

Solution: Rather than drawing myself for this assignment, I went beyond a "self portrait" and drew a life size portrait of my good friend and co-worker, Eric. I am going into my fourth year working part-time at a small breakfast diner in my hometown. 

Relationships within a work environment are so very different than any other relationship you will have in any other aspect of life. Eric, the cook at Mal's American Diner, has become such a close friend of mine; not many people outside of Mal's acknowledge the relationships i possess with co-workers. After laboring for extensive hours, my fellow employees and I join the after-party located outback of the restaurant where we smoke our cigarettes, marijuana, and drink our beer (with the occasional Mai Tai if we're feeling a bit more wild). 

For me, that location outside of Mal's is such a magical and symbolic spot. That setting with those characters is such a Memorable part of my life that few souls know about me. It is, as it seems, a second life. 

For creating this piece, I was careful to place Eric on the exact chair I sit on. As a self-portrait, this scene represents my double-life with people I adore on so many levels of intimacy.