Biography
My family originally settled in New Zealand form Scotland,
Australia and England. My family name Laird
comes from Scotland, where a Laird is part of the Scottish gentry. The word
laird comes from the old Scottish word laverd
meaning lord. The term acts more of a description for a position in society
rather than a title.
I think I'm quite a reserved person, preferring to sit and
listen than stand and shout. Favourite hobbies of mine include; gaming,
anything from chess to video games, preferring a solitary experience to a
social. I suppose I would also say I am an avid reader, and very picky with the
subject matter, classical literature being among my favourite. I am a graphic
design major however I find myself taking a range of subjects, in accordance
with a my broad range of interests. This often results in graphic and
typographic elements becoming apparent in my illustrative work, and vice versa.
Rationale
For my self-portrait I wanted to give a sense of alienation
and show my reserved personality. To do this I am facing away from the viewer,
disengaged, while reading a book. Whilst appearing uninterested I didn't want
to give the impression that I was a hermit or completely reclusive. The book I
am reading in the painting is Dale Carnegies How to Win Friends and Influence People, acts as a representation
of how I tend to act in social situations, being more observant than partaking.
Stylistically I wanted my painting to have a traditional aesthetic coming
through with the use of texture in the brushes. The colour palette I used was
based on the work of painter John Singer Sargent, overall being quite dark.
This I felt suited my subject matter better than a more vibrant palette would
have. The background of the painting is a typographic composition I made from
the letters in my name.
