Self Portraits again

I'm spending time with the surrealists in the Musee d'Orsay again. I can't exactly explain why I'm so drawn to them, when they do art so different from mine. But sitting with Redon's portraits, plus walking and thinking and having solitary time again, are all making me do self portraits again. The last spurt started here last year, also looking at Redon, and I've done my seemingly annual self portrait in that style just a bit, with floating flowers.

I did a second one once I got rolling as well. I've been carrying this poem fragment around in my mind and wanting to paint from it, wearing this vintage slip, for some months, but I've been covered up with the worship book illustrations and afterwards the Mr. Darcy book. It was finally time to let this one out as well.

At right is the Redon study I've done so far this trip, a painting called Eyes Closed. I loved the juxtaposition of the figure with the sea.

After getting properly dressed for the day, I went and had lunch in Luxembourg Gardens and ended up doing a sketch of Genevieve, my favorite statue there, since I was already revved up and going on the female figure. This one is less detailed than I've done in the past, and it's nice to try different things with a familiar subject. I'll probably be back to working on Mr. Darcy tomorrow, but it felt good to branch out a bit today and paint something current.