Oil Pastel on Paper

4'x4'

By Lida Bilokur

2011

Sitting in her oldfashioned chair, turned to the side as if she was getting her photograph takenprofessionally. Her judgmental eyes are relaxed and gazing down at the viewer,her red painted and smeared lips are pursed in a partial smile, her brown andgray hair is blown back into soft, feathery waves, and her hands are folded inher lap. Her catholic queen persona suggests to the viewer that she feels thatshe is better than everyone; she is old, and wise. Her attitude alsoexemplifies that of an accomplished adult. She has experienced life; she hasalready raised her children through adolescence, and watched them start theirown lives, and families. Now that all of her children and most of hergrandchildren have grown up, she does not have much to worry about. There areno kids to pick up from school, no sibling fights to break up, and no full-sizefamily dinners to cook. In a relaxing, yet sad way, she is just waiting to passaway. She is content with what she has accomplished in life, and she is donecompleting her fundamental life goals.

Oil Pastel on Paper

4'x4'

By Lida Bilokur

2011

Her head tilted to the side and is slightly lookingdown to the viewer with an overall look of content, comfort, and happiness. Sheis at the age where she is past her years of worrying about what other peoplethink of her. Her children are her main concern. Her ambitions consist ofmaking sure her family is happy; supporting her kids throughout college,helping her youngest child with her grade school homework and checking intoeach child’s life to see if there is anything wrong or anything that she canfix. She takes care of her family members lives until they are old enough andmature enough to handle everything themselves. This photograph completelyembodies my mother in all of the simplest aspects. She always has a positiveattitude no matter the situation, and always has a faithfully warm andwelcoming personality. My goal is for my mother’s portrait to embody the warmthof a kind, and always-loving mother

Oil Pastel on Paper

4'x4'

Sitting in my college dorm room, with my lofted bedbehind me, and posters on the wall in the background. I am sitting in a chair,leaning on my desk, and smiling confidently straight at the camera. I chosethis photograph because I felt it successfully embodied the age and attitude ofa twenty-year old, a confident and somewhat independent individual. By choosinga photo of myself looking directly into the camera, I believe it shows melooking at the viewer as my equal. I see most twenty-year olds as people whobelieve (usually undeservingly) that they are equal to any adult, no matter howold or how successful that adult may be. Since they have passed the 18-year oldlegal adult boundary, and (some) are living on their own, they are confidentthat they are a “grown-up”. Most twenty-year olds, however, are still somewhatstuck in the stage of confidence that comes easily, because they have not seenor experienced truly living alone and supporting themselves on their own.Twenty-year old women are also usually told, unconsciously convinced, or simplybelieve that they are in their societal age of prime beauty. The most famouswomen are mostly beautiful models and celebrities who are in their twenties.This encourages the sexual confidence of most twenty-year olds. Knowingly orun-knowingly, it tells them that they should appear as a self-assured, alluringwoman. Many times I see myself acting easily overconfident, and tooself-assured for my age and life experiences, so I tried to capture myself withan attitude and expression parallel to this idea.

Oil Pastel on Paper

4'x4'

Bundled up in two jackets and a colorful knit-woolhat, which she is pulling down over her forehead. She is smiling up at the viewer, and missing her four front teeth. Her bright blue eyes are eagerlypeering up to the viewer playfully. She is the youngest in our family and has the least lifeexperience. She is eager to learn from her role models and grow as a person.Since she is only 8 years old, and has not reached the stage of caring aboutthe clothes she wears, what friends she hangs out with, or impressing boys. Sheis seen wearing whatever she felt like wearing that day, and is smiling eventhough half of her top row of teeth is missing.