A self portrait done for the two week Event "Past Lives" over on Pixel Brush: [link] the challenge was to create a self portrait from a bygone era, anything from egyptian to 1920's gangster. I had the two concepts up in my scraps: [link] and of the two, I followed my heart, which really wanted the native american indian one.
The culture of these people is one I have huge respect for, I admire the way they live in harmony with nature. Now before anyone says it, YES this was influenced by Disney's Pocahontas. And yes, I'm more than aware that Disney massacred the real history version, but I take it for what it is.. there's some rather lovely moral messages in it that people should take to heart rather than bitching about how 'wrong' it is. So yes, if you tel me it looks like Colors of the Wind from Pocahontas, I reserve the right to call you a ninny for not reading the description.
I think of all the portraits I've done, this captures me as I like to see myself. I'm a veritable russian doll of personas, layers and fronts. A social chameleon, I change my behaviour according to who I'm around. In my solitary moments, those I treasure, when I can finally switch off all those other people in me, this is who I truly am. The girl with the colours of the wind in her hair.
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Done in photoshop CS over 2 weeks, about 20-30 hours spent.