2000. This is a mashup of the very first painting I ever made and the photo used to create it.
Up until this point, my art had all been with pencils, charcoal, or pastels.
The project was to teach us how to mix colors to create a different color. We were only allowed to use primary colors (red, blue, yellow) and white.
We drew a small repeating pattern on the panel and we had to change colors at every line of that pattern.
This was the result.
I ended up majoring in art, though at the time, I wasn’t sure what I would pursue.
I double tracked the major with drawing/painting and printmaking/graphic design.
I used the latter set of skills to superimpose the painting back over the original photo.
I can’t take credit for the photo itself. My professor took it.
It was not only my first painting, it was my first self-portrait and one of my most successful pieces to date (in my opinion).