Leli Paige

With this piece I not only sought to intrigue with the beguiling self-portrait, but also to excite the sensibilities of the art of the ballet. I believe I have married the two in this piece in an enchanting and intriguing fashion, exciting the imagination with the possibilities of what it signifies intertwining the portrait (myself) and the renowned art form (the beloved dance).

One in a series of self-portraits, there is an introspection, a self-awareness, a plaintive countenance to this particular still - more so than any other I include within this series - that defines this woman, myself, who I AM with no uncertain clarity: just there...the melancholia. There...sorrow. There, in the shadows...regret. Yet there is also a strength that pulses from within the image - and it is this strength that stands alone.

self-portrait. "ash," I call it: not "smoking girl" or "cigarette" or "profile of a woman" or anything of that sort that - perhaps - flickers and flutters through one's mind upon viewing (I suppose mine as well...). yet... no. this photograph of mine is ASH.