Who Am I? An Exploration in Self Portraits

"Who are you? What is your story? Where does your perception of yourself come from? How do you view yourself versus how do you think others see you?

We are living in an age where we curate our public persona. Whether through our profile pictures, what we post on social media and how we dress in public. How does that impact who we really are? Is it a disguise or are we taking ownership of our identity?" 

-- Kristine Schomaker, from a recent call for art

This blog could be considered a self portrait!

I started SpyGirl in 2010, as part of a Journaling Challenge.
At first, I hid behind my SpyGirl persona:

original post

Gradually, I said screw that, I want to draw fashion sketches again:

2011, for a Sketchbook Project project
(Sketched in Illustrator, painted in Photoshop. Labor intensive. See this) 

My sketching style evolved, digital, analog... I shifted as the mood struck me.

5/31/16, lunch break selfie sketches of the day's outfit

From the same sketchbook, that time I turned 60:

6/3/16

Not my first selfie nude.
That would be a painting that I no longer have. Still looking for the photo of it...

Linking up with

Michelle's Potpourri

Rena's Fine-Whatever

Summertime Goals: August Summery Summary

Daily Goals:
Do a Daily Drawing. (Fashion sketches count). 12/31

The fashion sketches are TOP SECRET
This, however, was a fun "Sunday Challenge" in my Facebook sketch group:
"Draw yourself as royalty in 3 minutes"
I used Procreate. [It took longer than 3 minutes!]

Procreate doodles (new) 19/31
This one got the most Likes:

View this post on Instagram

I messed up my “row of fashion sketches” so here’s today’s @procreate doodle. #digitalcanvas3 #patterndesign #annembray #100dayproject #findyour100 #procreate #100_amb 107/100. I’ve been posting the series on @annembray.art but maybe it belongs here. I confuse myself sometimes. Motif derived from my scarf.

A post shared by anne m bray (@annembray) on Jul 30, 2019 at 2:11pm PDT

This one I "donated" to the day job, I think it'll be good for Costco Canada panties if I change the colours:

View this post on Instagram

Today’s @procreate doodle. #digitalcanvas3 #patterndesign #annembray #100dayproject #findyour100 #procreate #100_amb 110/100. Motif derived from a bit on today’s tunic. Colorway from COTDstyle of the day: bold patterns and dirty sage! #COTDstyle

A post shared by anne m bray (@annembray) on Aug 2, 2019 at 1:12pm PDT

Weekly Goals:
Waterlogues from old road trip photos 19/4 / Post to Saatchi Art 4/4
Sew and/or repair at least one garment. 2/4

View this post on Instagram

Maiden voyage of my #memade tunic and new to me @Fluevog Moxie Magoo Magnums, captured on eBay. Woohoo! #vog_magnum #slowsewing #outfitjournal #outfitdiary #iwillwearwhatilike

A post shared by anne m bray (@annembray) on Aug 13, 2019 at 1:09pm PDT

List at least one item on Poshmark 4/4
Upload new art to Redbubble. 2/4
Sew one patch onto Crazy Quilt (new). 0/4 [sigh]

Summer Goals:
54 FASHION SKETCHES (new) 13/54 
Get taxes done. not yet
DeClutter the living room (again). started and needs more constant/consistent work
Get sewing machine repaired. (how many years has this been broken now?) not yet

Do you have any sort of "To Do" list? Or maybe a "Honey Do"?
I'll report back again at the end of the September, progress or not.

The SUMMER Link Party closes at 9/2, so get those summer things linked!

There will be a different sort of Link Party for September -- check back tomorrow!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Linking up with
Shelbee's Spread the Kindness
Catherine's #shareAllLinkup

Colors of the Day Style Challenge #COTDstyle

This week, I discovered a fun Instagram Challenge hosted by @COTDstyle:

Every weekday, Mercedes posts two colors or a color and a pattern for outfit inspiration.

Tuesday was yellow and purple:

I wore purple and green:

One of my favorite aspects of the challenge is finding my lunchtime muse to sketch. 

(I got tired of sketching myself).

On Tuesday, I sketched @wookie_the_wonder_dog

And on Thursday I went to the art supply store and got some colors that I was lacking, including a decent Royal Purple!

Linking with Patti's Visible Monday, Shelbee's Spread the Kindness, Catherine's I Will Wear What I Like

Go Fish

Patti featured this sketch last week in her "Why I Like Instagram" post.
It's one of my lunch break selfie sketches. (To see them all filtered by the hashtag on Tumblr, click here).

Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday.

52 Pick-me-up: Wine / Creation

••• 

We are on our last week of neutral colors for 52 Pick-me-up -- let's celebrate with wine!

Did you know that you can exercise with wine? (No, I do not mean "bending your elbow").

Um, yeah. Lizzy IS a bit perky.
I see from her YouTube channel, she also does workouts on the couch.
Or combine the two -- workouts on the couch with wine.
Or omit the "workout" part and have wine on the couch.
Cheers!

I wore wine twice this week, here are the outfits depicted in #selfiesketch style:

Linking up with Shelbee's On the Edge of the Week linkup

See the ongoing series here on Tumblr.

It's the final week to link any neutral, including those not mentioned like brown.
Wine / Creation -- Link and tell!

52 Pick-me-up: White / Instinct

••• 

GASP! 
White shoes before Memorial Day! Issue me a Fashion Citation!

I call them my stompin' clompin' clogs. They combine flavors of Western, Moto, and I think a whisper of Dutch. Made by Fiorina, obtained in Hong Kong in 2004, I only recently discovered that they stay on my feet if I wear them without socks (much to the chagrin of my co-workers. These babies CLOMP).

Lets move slowly up the outfit, shall we?

My "skirt" and my leg.

Double houndstooth. Score!
The skirt is a tube of horrible 60's nylon jacquard. It's sticky and VERY synthetic feeling. I will not allow it to touch my skin. It plays nicely with my $2.99 polyester leggings obtained last summer at Jack's in NYC. 

I'm a walking symphony syntheticony.

The big picture:

Yes, I'm holding up my stomach. Ho ho ho!
No, I'm not pregnant. I'm way beyond that possibility.
I'm linking this up with Patti's Visible Monday.

Die Laughing was a store in Pasadena, from the time before Pasadena had Old Towne.
This tee saw the light of day strictly for this post. I then changed into a black tee with a message about crying. You'll have to wait until the next edition of VOGOFF to see that.
Unless you saw my #selfiesketch on various social media, that is. No, I'm not going to help you find it. 

Use your Instinct!
Bwahahahaha.

White / Instinct -- link and tell!

Threads and Surfaces: Anne the Spygirl

pp2-3 of Threads and Surfaces sketchbook for ArtHouse 
can't use glitter in this book but 
found metallic Prang markers (not stinky!) 
at Staples in the art supply section 
click on image to see bigger 

lounging around with guests look

Here is the most comfortable thing: the inside out Stussy shirt.

Lisa and I both bought the same shirt on La Brea in maybe 95? It's made of the softest sueded cotton. Vintage skirt came from Larry Quint, acquired 97.

breakfast out

My look for breakfast at Snug Harbor:

It dawned on me that my drains have little loops on them and I can loop them directly onto a belt. Makes the belt look like a Wonder Woman utility belt. I've draped a piece of fabric over the drain pods so that I don't flash anyone by mistake. No one wants to see THOSE -- ick. My giant hawaiian shirt fits better over everything and since it's gloomy this morning, I'll go with knit lounge pants (work sample, thanks esportia) as bottoms.