Rich and I recently drove down to the Bronx to see the NY Botanical Garden–fun short trip! They are honoring Frida Kahlo this year and have recreated some of the gardens from her home in Mexico in the conservatory, and have a collection of her paintings in a gallery. This self portrait was one of the works exhibited. I’m not a fan of Frida’s art but she is an interesting cultural icon, historical figure and was-still is- beloved by her country. So to commemorate the trip, I decided to insert myself into this oil painting. Move over, Frida! I opted to leave out the pricking thorns and dead bird hanging from her neck… and substituted my beaded branching necklace. I used watercolor pencils and pen. Hair is hard, need to work on that. And really a white shirt just does nothing for me. I’m like a ghost with the pale shirt, pale eyes and pale hair. Frida painted lots of self portraits which is the key–regular practice changes everything. On the one hand I hate that that’s true. Why does everything have to take practice? On the other hand, I like drawing, so it’s a good thing! Cooking–an entirely different story.