Self-Portrait

My self-portrait was meant to capture my relationship, my coexistence, with nature. Rather than just living on top of nature, I want to be a part of it. I think keeping a connection with nature keeps us healthy and sane. There's nothing as therapeutic as a deep breath in fresh air.

I wanted to incorporate the beauty and relaxing quality of symmetry, while at the same time, avoiding exact reflections. The variety in the symmetry, I think, adds a more natural quality to it while maintaining visual interest.

The appearance of chakras in this work is very personally significant to me. I had suffered intermittent pain for several years, chronic pain for 2 years, and only until I found someone who specialized in healing energy systems (chakras included) could I find relief, and begin again to live my life. The orb-like shape of the hair was meant to be reminiscent of the aura, another feature of our energy. Although this interest in "energy medicine" as termed by Donna Eden, is relatively new, it has made me rethink so much about my beliefs, my health, and my life, that I had to include elements of it in my self-portrait.

In regards to process of creating this image, most of the work was done in photoshop. I selected myself out of two pictures, one sitting, the other laying with my hair outstretched, using a variety of processes like magnetic lasso, magic wand, etc. I touched up my face and hair with the clone stamp. I used the smudge tool to draw out and accentuate the hair and the waves. I used the brush tool to create the light grey, electric looking roots. I used a mandala-like brush for the chakras, and made them have outer glow.