I’ve only done one self portrait before, and it wasn’t an entirely honest process.
Back in 2007 out in Seattle, Washington, I was selected for the “Portraits of Pride” collection from the Seattle LGBT Center. I was in the midst of a massive weight gain due to my battle with alcoholism that I was losing at. In painting myself, I chose to reference a picture from 2003, when I was skinnier and healthier, and upon gallery opening when I had to pose in front of this picture, I was faced with the photographic evidence of my dishonesty.
I never approached the idea after that, even years later when I became clean and sober. The idea of painting myself became such a difficult idea.
While working on the 10x10x10 project with Disney Fine Art, my work became more focused on how I could connect Mickey Mouse to the rest of the world. In this process I began to incorporate moments of time and people to these pieces.