In August at an event called MindCamp, I am going to be delivering a 4 hour, hands-on, experiential workshop in taking images to represent self and then using these images to develop some new insights about self.  I got the inspiration for this workshop from an exhibition I attended many years ago in London at the National Portrait Gallery, called Rembrandt by Himself.  What struck me about that exhibition was the number of drawings and portraits that Rembrandt made of himself while exploring various aspects of his style.  

Flash forward to April of 2013.  My husband and I went on a three week vacation visiting Romania, Vienna, and Prague.  I knew that we would be seeing some art in Vienna, but I wasn't prepared for my encounters with two of the artists that I will be using as examples of self-expression via self-portraiture.

In Vienna, I was so thrilled to see three different self-portraits of Rembrandt.  I had the whole gallery to myself to study and re-experience each of these images.

In Prague, I was delighted to see another artist that I've been planning to use in the workshop as an example of self-portraiture:  Picasso.  This time my husband was nearby and was able to take a photo documenting me and Picasso.

I found this to be an amazing piece of serendipity.  I was thinking about the workshop as I was looking at great art, up close and personal.  It got me  thoroughly energized about putting the workshop together.  At MindCamp, workshop attendees will be translating some background on portraiture and self-expression from Rembrandt, Picasso, and some photographers that I will be presenting and then using this inspiration to come up with images of their own that represent themselves.  It could be portraiture,  or it could be other means of expressing or representing self.  We will use these images to develop insights about self and it's called Photoautobiography.

For more information about MindCamp and my 4 hour workshop, click here:  http://www.mindcamp.org/program/?code=201305