To make a self portrait has been a surprising and enriching experience, mostly because I discovered how differently we can see ourselves from how others see us.
When I make a portrait, generally it is commissionned, so it is necessary that the person really looks like herself.
In a self portrait, it felt to me as if the important thing is not to reproduce my face as it is exactly (it wouldn't be interesting) but to "play" with how I perceive it.
I found out that it's rather unimportant if it gets slightly stretched, the most important thing for me to feel like "myself" was to find the right lines...it didn't matter if they were a little deformed (and in fact it was interesting to see how I deformed myself, even if little).
Secondly, nobody of the persons in my family thought the drawing/painting looked like me, while I absolutely see myself in it.
They meant that I look better in reality, I meant that I had "cheated" and made myself better than I actually am.
I am satisfied with the result, but I understand that as a portraitist I should keep it well hidden not to ruin my career ;)
I made two versions of it, one is a drawing (in my opinion it looks most like myself) the other is colored with acrylics.
I'm wearing a top hat because I love hats and top hats are my favorite between hats. If it was socially acceptable where I live, I'd wear them daily, but as things are, here in italian countryside, people would probably think I'd be wearing a carnival costume.