15/12/2016

I keep being asked why I'm only painting mens' faces and not womens'. It's pretty much only bearded and moustachioached men - the facial ornament gives more interest to the shape, as chins aren't interesting to draw per se, they are just a bit of oval tacked on to the general shape.

When I was in India I was constantly being talked at by Indian men, telling me what's what about their world. This left me with a post-event impresion of dark eyes fixing themselves hypnotically on mine in a way that I found unfamiliar and disconcerting I am carrying on mute one-sided conversations in my paintings.

It's also my inspecting of these faces. Staring is rude, even subversive, and invites strong reaction - an approach, a turining away, a feel of unease. As an artist you feel some license - you need to stare impudently. As a woman it is something you may need to be careful of.

I also feel the female face is just too hackneyed and well-trodden territory, there's nothing new I want to say, and I'm not interested at the moment.