The Self Portraits of Carol Montgomery

To my knowledge, this is the first exhibition of self-portraits to be held at Tairāwhiti Museum. It is my first solo exhibition and includes my first self-portrait which was also my first oil painting and my first exhibit. The works exhibited are in graphite, pastel and oils and cover the years 1980-2015. They are all mirror images of what I thought I saw, together with what I imagined.

Why the self-portrait? I like to paint people. I am always available as a model. I am the most patient model and will pose for as long as I’m needed. I am the only one who has to be satisfied with the final image. So, I paint the self-portrait - but not always.
-Carol Montgomery