A continuation of the circus theme with the second prop which was a neck ruffle. I felt the prop was quite an obvious one, so whilst I wanted to make sure the neck ruffle was very much part of the painting and theme, I also didn’t want to create a caricature of the artwork.

The photos that Patricia sent me were great and I actually might revisit one of them at another point. The photos really inspired me to experiment, which I enjoy doing but I am also at times overwhelmed by, hence not continuing with the references for a third painting.

“Do you see what I see?” charcoal and acrylic paint on patterned fabric mounted on a circular plywood board- this was the first painting I completed from the references and is available to purchase on my site- under the original art section.

Here’s a little more about Patricia and why she decided to take part in the project.

Tell me a bit about yourself….

I'm Patricia, I was born in Brazil and raised in Bolivia. I now live in the US with my husband and two cats. I started following your account when I saw your work about a year ago, while you were in the middle of your 100 heads project. At the time I had drawn and done illustrations for myself, but had only tried painting once or twice before, a few years ago, and you were a major part in inspiring me to try to paint again.

Why did you initially volunteer for my project?

I love your paintings, the pops of colors, the stripes, the brush strokes, and thought it would be great to be in one! You seem like the nicest person, and as someone who is learning I really appreciate educators and people who are really open with their work so any chance to help/participate would be an honor, so I totally jumped on the idea of participating in your project.

How do you normally feel about having your photo taken?

I usually like taking photos with friends and family where I am smiling, but I am also used to taking photos of myself for my own drawing references, so I was pretty comfortable with this.

The second experimental artwork that I produced, encorporating the idea of circles that represent early versions of the “circus ring”- This artwork is available to purchase on the Original art section on the site.

What was your initial reaction to the “prop” you were sent? And did it generate any ideas straight away?

It was actually pretty funny, because at first when I opened the package I thought it was a tiny tutu and was pretty confused, but then I figured it must be worn as a neck piece (considering it was for a portrait painting 😅). My initial thought was to go through my clothes and find something that would slightly remind me of a circus, without feeling like I was wearing a costume, so I settled for stripes. I did also decide right away that I would try a few different tops with it, just for variety.

Who took the photos of you for the project and why?

I took all the photos myself, as I felt less self conscious that way and could also take more photos if some didn't work out.

Did you feel different to how you normally would feel having your photo taken because you had a “prop” to work with? If yes, then why do you think it felt different?

I think taking photos with the prop was different than usual because whereas I would usually just worry about my face in a photo, this time I wanted to make sure the neck ruffle was not only seen, but also mostly a main part of the photo.

Do you have any vision for the painting I will be making?

I have not

How do you feel about having your portrait painted from the photos you have sent me?

It was quite fun to incorporate a prop into photos and try different things in them. I was pretty happy with how the photos came out, I love your work, and you always have little unexpected surprises in your paintings, so I'm pretty excited to see how the painting turns out and also curious as to which photo you pick.

I’m so grateful for everyones effort and contribution to this project and I’m excited that the project is reaching countries across the world. I have one more painting to complete and then I will be ready to select the next 3 people and next 3 props. The props next time won’t be “themed”.

Thank you for reading

Flo x

"Hidden in full view" Project 2021- Neck ruffle prop