"Mary Lee as Artemisia Gentileschi"

Incognito Project, 16x16, oil on panel.

Mary Lee is a friend of mine here in Birmingham, an artist and mother of three. She lives her life artfully and identifies with many aspects of the Renaissance artist Artemisia Gentileschi's unconventional life.

Mary Lee had a tough time deciding on her costume because she has so many interests, which eventually pointed us in the direction of Renaissance Man, er... rather Renaissance Woman.

Here are couple of shots of Mary Lee from the Incognito Project, Part 1, the day of the photo shoot last summer at my studio. Photos by Christina Lopez.

The picture of her costume from the back is amusing, it's all about the disguise! Which in this case was an authentic Renaissance costume I rented from the Samford Theater Department.

Mary Lee's hairpiece is made of feathers, flowers, an acorn and a small compass, signifying an artist's love of the study of nature and the use of art as a compass for life.

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Here's a link to other posts about The Incognito Project.

Enjoy Artemisia's epic self-portrait that helped inspired my composition.