Respect the Beard
Men have wore beards since the begging of time. Beard act like protective barrier in cold climates, regulating the temperature and facilitation of perspiration a beard also act like sensory organs. So tickle that beard!
The idea of the bearded man came from the saying; that most bearded men use”respect the beard”I found a subject with a very particular beard. It looked trimmed but at the same time wild.
Throughout the course of history, society have influenced attitudes toward male beards. Depending on factors such as; Philosophers , prevailing cultural-religious traditions, the current era’s fashion trends and fear.
As the artistic mind started thinking of what techniques where going to be applied to make the beard; the man that I used as a subject quickly disappeared in thoughts and visualizations and he became a completely different bearded man.
The color palette: I have included pinks yes pink for a man portrait, because pink exist in all pale skin humans; A black beard to create a high contrast with the color of his eyes.
As the process flowed, I stopped coloring the beard and quickly grabbed my string art supplies and substituted the oil pastel hair for black acrylic thread.
With hammer and nails on hand , continued working on the piece making his eyebrows and beard ready for the thread
How many bundles did i used ? I can not certainly tell how many. It took three days and many bundles of thread to complete his beard
As i was working in the piece a few friends came over and asked me if i had used rug to make his beard. Hand made rug indeed.
Recently this awesome mixed media creation found a home where it will be enjoyed for years to come.
But do not worry I am planning to make more bearded men…I will continue to have fun and create.
Thanks for reading