I thought this would be the perfect post for the first of April, a day when most people are punking, pranking, and just plain joking, because this artwork is pretty hard to believe. But it's for real.
above: Eloy Morales working on his 9th Paint In My Head portraitAt first glance, Eloy Morales' "Paint In My Head" series looks like an exploration in photographic self-portraiture, but what is so phenomenal is that these works, created from 2009-2013, are not photographs, but are large scale oil paintings and in one case, a pencil drawing. Eloy created 9 large scale images (averaging a little over 5' x 5') of his own face covered in everything from mud to paint. Here they are in chronological order.
Paint In My Head #1, 2009, oil on panel, 160x160cm (62.4 x 62.4 inches):
Paint in My Head #2, 2011, oil on board, 160x130cm:
Paint in my head #3, 2011, oil on panel, 160x160cm:
Paint in my head #4, 2011, oil on board, 160x160cm:
Paint in my head #5, 2012, oil on panel, 160x160cm:
Paint in my head #6, 2012, oil on board 160x160cm:
Paint in my head #7, 2012, Pencil on paper, 70x100 cm:
Paint in my head #8, 2012, oil on board, 160x160cm:
Paint in my head #9, 2013, oil on board 130x160cm:
Seeing the artist working on or around his pieces, and looking at close up details of his work, gives them both credibility and scale:
Not only does Eloy Morales paint stunningly realistic self-portraits but his portraits of others will also blow you away. Here are some large scale oil paintings of other subjects by Eloy:
Harriet with Purple Hair, 2013, oil on canvas, 120x120cm:
Megan with Googly Eyes, 2013, oil on board, 60x40cm:
Maria in the Forest, oil on canvas, 120cmx120cm:
Swimmer number 11, 2009, oil on panel, 160x160cm:
Estela with Skull's necklace, 2013, oil on canvas, 60x40cm:
Harriet with White Hair, 2012-2013, oil on canvas, 130x97cm:
Francisco with Butterflies, 2013, oil on board 160x160cmL
Below Michelle Buchanan interviews the artist for poetsandartists.com:
all the images in this post are courtesy of the artist.
Eloy Morales