Experimenting with Self-Timer

It was such a beautiful day yesterday. The sun was out, it was warm, you could hear the birds, see the blossom. Finally it feels good to be a student.

I have an essay on Freud due in next week, and I was supposed to be working on it yesterday (and right now, funnily enough...) but I couldn't. Not with the sun shining so warmly for the first time in months!

So I did what I wanted to do:

Our garden has turned wild over the winter. Somehow it looks prettier than when we first moved here.

So happy I got to wear my favourite Spring jacket. It's coat weather today, but I will cherish the memory of sunlight warming my bare arms (EDIT: Oh the sun decided to say hello! Serves me right for being up too early!)

Self-Timer Success!

♥ Rachel ♥

Self-portrait challenge: day 19, 20 + 21/365

Day 19

Cherries. One of the best treats around!

Day 20

Margaret Atwood is a new discovery of mine. I read the Handmaid's Tale in three days, which is something that hasn't happened in a very long time...

Day 21

This necklace was bought for me by my mum for my 20th birthday. It is such a beautiful statement piece, so it deserved an entire picture to itself. Thanks mum!

♥ Rachel ♥

Self-portrait challenge: day 16, 17 + 18/365

Day 16

Don't ask me how my fingers ended up on the back of my ankle. I don't know...

Day 17

We picked the apples off the tree in our garden so mum can make culinary magic with them. I don't know what she does, but it's yummy!

Day 18

Everyone needs a mustache on a stick. Everyone.

♥ Rachel ♥

Self-portrait challenge: day 13, 14 + 15/365

Day 13

After the complete lack of colour in the last few pictures, I had a horrendous fashion panic and bought some bright yellow tights from Primark. Whether an improvement or not, at least it is colour!

Day 14

I had to renew my passport this week. My actual passport photo looks much more hideous than this...

Day 15

Some days it would be great to pick the third star to the right and carry on straight until morning!

♥ Rachel ♥

Self-portrait challenge: days 9, 10, 11 +12/365

So time to crash your computers with a picture heavy post!


Day 9 of the 365 day self-portrait challenge:

More upside-down shots. But they are fun...!


Day 10 of the 365 day self-portrait challenge:

My beautiful vintage work-boots. (They were a bargain at £12 and were my saviour last winter!)


Day 11 of the 365 day self-portrait challenge:

I wanted a different angle. So I destroyed my back lying upside-down on the stairs. All in the name of art.


Day 12 of the 365 day self-portrait challenge:

Hide-y, hide-y!

I notice I seem to gravitate towards very cold lighting. Maybe that has something to do with the weather at the moment? Whatever it is, I will aim to try and incorporate some colour. Considering how much I love colour, I seem to avoid wearing it. *Cue confused and sad face*

And you may have noticed some of these look kind of similar. I have a small confession to make... I have missed about two days due to visiting my boyfriend in his new house. I felt it was weird to take photographs of myself in someone else's house.

A house full of men.

See my point?

And as I take so many pictures to give myself as much choice as possible when picking my image, I decided to use a couple of them to stretch out the days I missed.

*Cue guilty face.*

To compensate for my crimes, I'll add two extra days on - the end date for this project is now the 28/09/12.

♥ Rachel ♥

Self-portrait challenge: days 6, 7 + 8

I realise I have been terribly lax in posting these portraits, but i have most certainly been taking them every day!

Day 6 of the 365 day self-portrait challenge

This is Teddy Wally. I have had him since the first day I was born. Therefore he is pretty much a part of me. Sweet huh?


Day 7 of the 365 day self-portrait challenge

This is a good idea of what I feel when I'm running late...which I was when I took this!


Day 8 of the 365 day self-portrait challenge

On really rough days I slob out in comfies and try to read. As staged as this is, it is true!


I know I have 7 more pictures to upload to be up to date with today, but it is late and I am quite sleepy. I have several posts in the works regarding hand warmers, fabric shopping and house decoration plans, but all in good time!

♥ Rachel ♥

Self-portrait challenge: day 4+5/365

Day 4 of the 365 day self-portrait challenge.

When you look at your reflection in a shiny surface you do not see yourself as you truly are. Or do you?


Day 5 of the 365 day self-portrait challenge

I'm not the biggest fan of my profile. So I purposely chose a profile shot!

♥ Rachel ♥

Self-portrait challenge: day 2+3/365

Day 2 of the 365 day self-portrait challenge.

It is blurry for a reason. A) My camera is just a point and shoot and therefore doesn't like low lighting conditions. B) I was drunk.

So consider the blurryness a bonus! It is a visual representation of my physical state. Oh Art!


Day 3 of the 365 day self-portrait challenge.

Today was such a fresh and blustery day - my favourite type of weather (even if it was too cold!) So I had to go outside very briefly and enjoy the elements. I love September weather ♥

♥ Rachel ♥

Self-portrait challenge: day 1/365

I was catching up with one of my favourite blogs, A Beautiful Mess, and was reading this post about taking better self-portraits when I stumbled across the 365 day self portrait challenge. After searching in Google I found out that it really is as simple as it sounds. One self portrait a day for a year.

At first I was like: "Oh that is nice." Then I was like: "Hmmm... I could do that..."

So I am.

Here is day 1.

After a restless night of creative anticipation I was in desperate need of coffee and peanut-butter on toast. Sadly I was so tired I burnt the toast. Hence the very gloomy expression...

This project is not so that I can post pretty photos of myself all over the internet. This - for me - is an artistic and creative exploration. I hope to achieve some sort of insight at the end of the project, or at least a sense of satisfaction that I finally stuck with something.

And because it is not about being pretty, I wanted to start off as I mean to go on; with a truthful account of me. After all, a self-portrait is about capturing something of the personality of the subject, and not just to flatter. I like to think that, as an artist, I am beyond such vanity. (Of course, having pretty photos occasionally is nice, and an ego boost. I am just saying that not all of these pictures will be flattering!)

I doubt I will be able to update every single day, especially once I have returned back to university, but I will keep posting. This blog started out as a little distraction for me during the long summer, but I really enjoy keeping it so I will continue it!

Craft updates coming soon!

Thanks,

♥ Rachel ♥