# @jillkittock on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DZakVdWGz57
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/67016972-jillkittock-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/6c59195e00.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-06-10T18:17:18.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Jill Kittock (@jillkittock) — https://gondola.cc/jillkittock

## Caption

🚨Minor rant ahead! 😊 There’s one question I regularly get that’s always been perplexing to me: “Are these all self portraits?” 🤔 (FYI: these pics are my only ones) People are trying to engage with my art, and that’s a compliment! It’s also awkward for some people to be looking at art, while the artist is RIGHT there, so they’re also just looking for something to say. 

However…I had a male (a fellow artist, I think) visit my art fair booth the other weekend and say, “These are all self-portraits.” Not a question. 😐 I said “no, not really,” (looking around at the dozens of people in the dozens of paintings. lol) They walked around the booth pointing and (smugly) said “here you are here, and here, and here and here..” I SIGH. 🙄 What I don’t feel comfortable saying, is: Do all women look the same to you in real life, too? Would you be asking this if I was a man illustrating mostly men? And if these were ALL self-portraits, can’t an artist use themself as reference (as I do)? Why are you asking me this with an attitude that’s trying to belittle me and my work? 

If this was a question about diversity of people within my work, (trust me, it isn’t) I would handle this question much differently. Because I have engaged with that topic, but in a very different way with other folks. Diversity of characters is something I take seriously and have had to feel out for myself, in a way that feels right in my painting. But this dude was not doing that. 

🙄 I probably should have made this caption, “Hi! In case you didn’t know, these are the *only* self portraits I have ever knowingly included in my paintings.” But that dude kind of pissed me off. 🙃 And there’s one of him at least every art fair. 

BTW this was not meant to call out anyone who’s ever asked me questions at a fair, or about self portraits!! Just this specific this *way* of asking this specific question. 

Ok, now PLEASE sound off in the comments what questions you’re routinely asked about your work (art or not) to make me feel better. 😘 

#selfportrait #artist #artistthoughts #artfairs #littledevil #studio #artiststudio

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 417
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 70

## Tags

artfairs, selfportrait, littledevil, artiststudio, artist, studio, artistthoughts

---
Copyright (c) Gondola