The short answer is, “The paper made me do it.” It is oblong (approximately 5×8 inches). I had to fit my features within this constraint.  I have also started wading into my new book, Paul Klee: Irony at Work, by Angela Lampe, Michael Baumgartner. There are a series of portraits at the beginning that captured my interest. My self portrait is an attempt to emulate these drawings.

Why the Long Face?
5.5″x8.5″ 138# Mix Media

A somewhat more involved reason for the ‘long face’ is…. aging. There is gravity in this situation. Physical gravity and emotional gravity of getting longer in the tooth.