The Portrait Project

At one point I had a love letter and a portrait business. Both were performances of sorts. For the portrait project I would install myself in the person's house and hang out drawing them. The portrait shown was a Valentine's day gift from one lover to the other. The lover who was receiving the gift was also a phenomenol chef who had been trained in cooking schools in France. He prepared for me a sumptuous dinner of sole carefully arranged in a grid tiny fish balls and floating in a beautiful gravy. The only problem was I thought I was freaking allergic to sole! I had had 2 allergic reactions while eating it, my throat got itchy and my lips began to swell. I was terrified, having consequently avoided eating it most of my life. I literally thought I was going to die, but I was too polite to say anything. Well, I survived, I didn't have a reaction. Turns out I didn't react to it, but I still avoid eating it out of habit, just in case.