Yesterday was my 51st birthday. I celebrated by finishing a self portrait for this months ESBQ show. II realized that I really should have read those books I bought last year. You know the ones "Fabulous at 50", "Surviving Mid Life" ect. But I didn't and now I am 51 and still working on it. Still I have learned some things..., Many are the ties that bind, not all of them with love. Then there are the ,hooks and hang ups, that usually consist of should've,could've,would've, might've. The things that hold us back, slow our progress, and sometimes out and out stop us. I discovered some of them as I was working on this portrait, they are in fact written all through the background of this piece. I have wrote a poem about it in the side margin. It reads: Truth will stand it's own And lead all who would follow I shall stumble home... At the last minute I decided that I needed a scissors, and that is the beginning of a process where much of my life will revolve not around tying up loose ends but cutting those unhealthy ties that bind...stay tuned. I have documented the making of this piece on my blog: http://almaleeoriginals-artscape.blogspot.com/ About this painting: size 11�14 media: color pencils and markers (final drawing is then enhanced digitally) materials: 140 lbs smooth bristol Subject: Self Portrait Style: expressionism