Intersecting Parallels
A Portrait of and inspired by Frida Kahlo by Margot Heron
The title of this portrait comes from a mathematical paradox. The definition of parallel is two things that are side by side and always maintain the same distance between them so they are never able to intersect. Therefore the idea of an intersecting parallel seems contradictory and unreasonable. Thus the title speaks to Frida's complexity, the ability to keep so many contrasting traits in a singular person. In this portrait I wanted to use warm and cool colors to highlight the duality of Frida's character. Frida's life was shaped by her dualities. She was biracial, bisexual and possibly bipolar. I chose to paint this portrait in watercolor because it is an unforgiving medium: every stroke can be seen and it is impossible to erase mistakes. This adds a sense of truth and rawness to the portrait. On the left side of the portrait I used red and gold paint, and on the right side I used ultramarine blue and aqua paint. The juxtaposition of colors creates a dissonance within the portrait and makes it easier for the viewer to see differences. The right eyelid is noticeably more shadowed than the left. This is meant to show Frida's weariness and depression. Likewise, the red lip is supersaturated to show the boldness of Frida's voice.
Laverne Cox
A portrait of Laverne Cox, Inspired by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Painted by Margot Heron
When I was first creating this project, I was looking at women of different ages, races, and social standings but I wasn't really considering painting a Transgender woman. I was talking to the president of PRISM, my close friend Tony Li, when he asked me if I was going to represent LGBTQ+ women in my project. I consider transgender women to be an important part of the female identity, and thus my portrait "Laverne Cox" was born.
I feel like both the artist, Le Brun and the actress, Cox have many parallels in their lives. Both women stepped into a field where not many of their kind had gone before. During Le Brun's lifetime, female portrait artists were uncommon. Likewise, transgendered actresses weren't recognized in Hollywood when Laverne started her career. Nevertheless, both women persisted and garnered admiration and success.
This portrait mixes the stylings of Le Brun and the visage of Cox. Le Brun was famous for focusing on the beauty of the woman rather than her status. She also used simple dark backgrounds, and she loved using the color red in her painting. These are elements of hers that I've tried to incorporate in my portrait of Laverne Cox.
A portrait of Laverne Cox, Inspired by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Painted by Margot Heron
When I was first creating this project, I was looking at women of different ages, races, and social standings but I wasn't really considering painting a Transgender woman. I was talking to the president of PRISM, my close friend Tony Li, when he asked me if I was going to represent LGBTQ+ women in my project. I consider transgender women to be an important part of the female identity, and thus my portrait "Laverne Cox" was born.
I feel like both the artist, Le Brun and the actress, Cox have many parallels in their lives. Both women stepped into a field where not many of their kind had gone before. During Le Brun's lifetime, female portrait artists were uncommon. Likewise, transgendered actresses weren't recognized in Hollywood when Laverne started her career. Nevertheless, both women persisted and garnered admiration and success.
This portrait mixes the stylings of Le Brun and the visage of Cox. Le Brun was famous for focusing on the beauty of the woman rather than her status. She also used simple dark backgrounds, and she loved using the color red in her painting. These are elements of hers that I've tried to incorporate in my portrait of Laverne Cox.
Speak Up
A Portrait inspired by Cindy Sherman, Delphine Blast, and Isabel Allende: Created by Margot Heron
This pose for this portrait is loosely based on a photograph Colombian girl Melany Forero taken by Delphine Blast. What struck me about this photograph was the confidence of Melany juxtaposed against a dingy alleyway. I've nicnamed subject of the portrait Belisa Crepusculario after the protagonist of Dos Palabras by Isabel Allende. In this short story, a young woman escapes from poverty and makes a name for herself (Literally and figuratively) selling words. My third influence is Cindy Sherman. Sherman used dress up to critique the world around her. In this portrait Belisa is dressed as a Quinceañera. In this case, the symbol of a princess represents power. This particular power doesn't come from royal blood, but the ability to understand and shape the world. Likewise, Belisa's expression was very important to me. I wanted her to look as if she was about to give a speech. I love how her gesture is calm yet collected, and her eyes look both thoughful and assertive. What I find really sets this portrait apart from the others is the use of words. These words were taken from girls education documentary "Girl Rising" as well as the Wall Street Journal. I manipulated the newspaper to create the story I want to tell. I feel like the background is representative of the way we process knowledge and use it to shape our futures.
A Portrait inspired by Cindy Sherman, Delphine Blast, and Isabel Allende: Created by Margot Heron
This pose for this portrait is loosely based on a photograph Colombian girl Melany Forero taken by Delphine Blast. What struck me about this photograph was the confidence of Melany juxtaposed against a dingy alleyway. I've nicnamed subject of the portrait Belisa Crepusculario after the protagonist of Dos Palabras by Isabel Allende. In this short story, a young woman escapes from poverty and makes a name for herself (Literally and figuratively) selling words. My third influence is Cindy Sherman. Sherman used dress up to critique the world around her. In this portrait Belisa is dressed as a Quinceañera. In this case, the symbol of a princess represents power. This particular power doesn't come from royal blood, but the ability to understand and shape the world. Likewise, Belisa's expression was very important to me. I wanted her to look as if she was about to give a speech. I love how her gesture is calm yet collected, and her eyes look both thoughful and assertive. What I find really sets this portrait apart from the others is the use of words. These words were taken from girls education documentary "Girl Rising" as well as the Wall Street Journal. I manipulated the newspaper to create the story I want to tell. I feel like the background is representative of the way we process knowledge and use it to shape our futures.
This portrait was the first concept I came up, and one of the hardest to execute properly (see my first attempts on the left). Mary Cassatt's most famous paintings revolve around generations of women, although she had no children herself. Therefore I decided to pay homage to Cassat by making the relationship about two versions of the same self. The version on the left is a young woman. In my first iteration of the portrait she is crying, but I took this aspect away in later portraits, I decided that youth isn't necesarly a sad time, but a time in which people are ambitious and trying to find a place in a world they see as dark and unknown. Thus I've dressed the girl in a professional collared shirt and juxtaposed her against a dark red background. The older woman, on the other hand, has seen the world and all the lightness and darkness within it. She also recognizes how her surroundings have shaped her identity (thus the profile). The older woman possesses a more relaxed view of life, she has figured out who she is and she is content with that. As the women look back and forward in life, they feel a sense of love for each other. Although they are different, they are connected by the experience of living a life together, and that I think is truly beautiful.
Blue Ophelia
A Portrait inspired by Artemisia Gentileschi and William Shakespeare. Painted by Margot Heron
It took me a long time to come up with the topic of this portrait, but I think it is one of my best paintings to date. This painting was inspired by Artemisia Gentileschi. Gentileschi was a baroque artist famous for painting the unspoken pains of women. Her style was defined by darkness, violence, and biblical imagery. Instead of focusing on the bible like Gentileschi did, I chose to focus on one of Shakespeare's most tragic female heroines Ophelia. I decided to reimagine Ophelia as asian because I think Asian features are beautiful. Although Ophelia traditionally wears a wedding dress, I chose to make the dress she wears here dark in order to blend into the background, emphasizing the drowning aspect of Ophelia. I feel like Ophelia speaks to my own need to be loved. Sometimes I feel like I extend so much love out to other people, but my love is often neglected or ignored. As a result I sometimes feel that I'm isolated and drowning in sorrow. That being said, I want this painting to also celebrate the beauty of life. The water lilies highlight the bright aspects of the human experience.There is beauty and love that is present, that Ophelia would be able to notice if she only chooses to lift her head.
A Portrait inspired by Artemisia Gentileschi and William Shakespeare. Painted by Margot Heron
It took me a long time to come up with the topic of this portrait, but I think it is one of my best paintings to date. This painting was inspired by Artemisia Gentileschi. Gentileschi was a baroque artist famous for painting the unspoken pains of women. Her style was defined by darkness, violence, and biblical imagery. Instead of focusing on the bible like Gentileschi did, I chose to focus on one of Shakespeare's most tragic female heroines Ophelia. I decided to reimagine Ophelia as asian because I think Asian features are beautiful. Although Ophelia traditionally wears a wedding dress, I chose to make the dress she wears here dark in order to blend into the background, emphasizing the drowning aspect of Ophelia. I feel like Ophelia speaks to my own need to be loved. Sometimes I feel like I extend so much love out to other people, but my love is often neglected or ignored. As a result I sometimes feel that I'm isolated and drowning in sorrow. That being said, I want this painting to also celebrate the beauty of life. The water lilies highlight the bright aspects of the human experience.There is beauty and love that is present, that Ophelia would be able to notice if she only chooses to lift her head.