indiana.87633

This post will be entirely about cars.  For those like me, who cannot tell a Chevy from a Subaru, leave.  But if you have the slightest inkling on how to make it as a model in the midwest, stay.


My odometer currently reads 87633.  I live in Winchester, Indiana which is a blessing in many ways, but in terms of my car it's a midway point for all my gigs.  Last Thursday I drove to Indianapolis to model at the Indianapolis Art Center - over 42 miles one way.  That trip definitely puts the drive to Georgetown from Austin in perspective (44 miles roundtrip).  I model in Piqua, Ohio which is about the same milage in the opposite direction.  It's kind of a blessing for you that I don't have the exact milage to each gig, but I write it down in a notebook in my car.


Why? When I was filing my taxes this spring I got $400 back for the miles I drove in 2009.  I read somewhere that the government pays you 25 cents per mile driven to contracting work.  If you model for ACC, you are a contractor and should write it down.  I got a savings account out of it.


I'll keep you posted on how my car is doing.  Her name is Pelirroja Peligrosa and she got me to Indiana for under $200. According to Jalopnik if you buy a Chevy Aveo, you can get a free Autobot.  Wish I had known, my boy loves Transformers.  Have a good day. 87633.

spring habit.011 fat and sex

There was a poetry reading I went to in Oxford.  I couldn't stop laughing.  The reader more of a slampoet or lyricist, the way he broke out into verse.  Basically FAT and SEX were neurotically repeated the way the magazines bombard you at the grocery store checkout.  This magazine boasts of 25 ways to have better sex.  Wait! No!  Let me tell you all of his secret fantasies!  No, no they got it wrong.  Lose weight and feel better naked in 2 weeks!  Only two weeks!  What do you have to lose?

Your sanity?

I know my boss reads this.  That's what any good boss does: keep tabs on her employees' public information.  She's powerful.  Perhaps it's because she can run four stores and keep it all together, maybe it's that she is so stern with employees, but mostly she works her ass off, and encourages everyone else to do the same. She's curvy like me. My point is with all this is, please don't worry about your weight when there are far more important things to deal with.  Maintain a healthy weight, put on five minutes worth of makeup, and wake up!

Men don't worry about their weight half as much as women do.  They have more important matters to worry about than their beer gut, hopefully.  Recently I have to catch myself looking at my dimply thighs and realize ... why the fuck are you doing this? It's ten o'clock, finish what's on your to-do list ... and I'm happier that way.  I finish things instead of obsess and waste time.  Time that I could be earning money or enjoying a good book.

You look fine ... really.  I know I can't see you, but I know most of you don't art model.  We've got clothes for a reason and they should be altered to suit you, not the reverse. Perhaps this is my anti-beauty message, and perhaps it's what happens to you if you devote too many hours a day to beauty.  I kinda lost my peace.

Capital Metro

Hi there. Haven't written in a bit, and I apologize. It's getting harder to write about modeling when you aren't doing it as a full-time job. For those who are, I know the pay rate and how hard it is. I remember filling my gastank a quarter of the way or half tank if I was lucky. We depend on buses.

Capital Metro is taking a survey of all the riders and their routes from February through April. Surveyors will be identified with a nametag as representatives of Capital Metro, so there is no need to worry about creepy guys asking where you live. Look for the CapMetro nametag.

Tell them what routes you need in place to make traveling easier. East/West routes? I personally want the #9 to go to Laguna Gloria on weekdays. There are a lot of classes at Laguna Gloria and the #9 only goes there on Saturday, a day in which I've never model there. Tell them what you think. Collectively we can make art modeling a sustainable career. I have some more ideas, but patience is key.

Nellie Bly

I introduce to you Nellie Bly. She was the journalist who ventured around the world solo in a time when women were usually chaperoned. In fact, she beat the fictional Phileas Fogg's record of 80 days by over a week in advance: 72 days 6 hours and 11 minutes. Nellie Bly will be our tourguide of the world in the days to come, but for now, we're packing.

Nellie Bly traveled lightly. She carried a bag that's dimensions were 16 inches wide and 7 inches high. Inspired by her I bought a really pretty, but tiny duffel bag. It is long like hers and about the same dimensions aforementioned. I carry it on long trips like Nellie, but for the most part I use it for modeling.

Hmm...what to wear? Yes, you all know the answer to that when it comes to my work. But I do bring cloth(es) to work. There is the sitting mat which I have, because not all the places I model launder the cushions I sit on. My robe is also packed and a case of CDs. When all are in use, my clothes stay concealed. Believe me, it's really awkward fishing out your business card with underwear in the same bag. Hence the second bag. Well, it's getting late. I should finish packing. G'night!

Try again.

The other morning was hell. I didn't wake up to two alarms. I was late and greasy hair topped it all off. I hate being late, but really, it happens. So I give myself an allowance: 2 late days per year. I've already used them up, but the point is to try. Once you are aware of what's wrong you are better able to fix it. On nights that I don't get my ungodly amount of sleep, I have my friend call me in the morning, just in case those two alarms don't work.

There are other things that just being aware of can make you a better model.

• Put your cell phone on silent before the class starts.
• Give yourself enough time for traffic.
• Have at least two business cards handy.
• Always have your planner with you at gigs.
• Have at least two robes.

Another thing that almost made that day even more hellish was that I left my robe at the artist's home the day before. If I didn't have a second it would have made the late, greasy haired model even more awkward. But as long as you try to be better it's worth it and you'll be forgiven. Try again.

True Beauty

"Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

I will tell you a secret. I usually think it's too mushy to say, but today it's appropriate. How I became a model.

What inspires you? For me, it is old ladies with so many stories they gush...and you want to sit there and stay. Yes, an old lady saying, "That is me," referring to herself in a painting inspired me to model. I've never met her, but her pride made the TV glow. I love women who can hold themselves up in a dignified way. They know who they are and are determined to be just that.

I model for ladies...and men, but usually women are the painters. This is my own experience and not a generalization. Seriously, if you want advise on marriage ask these women. It's nice. Advise, kindness, it's all there at open-studio sessions. I hope I am as beautiful as them in my old age.

Goldilocks and the Three Robes

A good robe is hard to find.  I'm goldilocks when it comes to them.  I'm short, so they can't be too long.  And if they are too short I feel like I'm streaking campuses.  Sounds like fun, but I'm not in the mood.

They have to have an inner tie so the robe doesn't gape open, and an outer tie- just because it has to.  Yes, I'm picky but I feel better that I'm not looking frumpy.  No house coats here.  So that leads me to what is, in my eyes, the perfect robe.

My favorite robes are made of silk and look Asian.  Here are some good websites to find one of your own.  It's fun to dress up for gigs.  Here's some handmade creations that dazzle from Plum Pretty Sugar, Asian Expressions and 1920.  All of them are much cheaper than Victoria Secret and not as transparent.

no details please...

All I can tell you are generalizations.  The organization that I modeled for is handling the matter in an adept manner, so I don't want to slander them hence 'no details please.'

Today I noticed a security camera while I was art modeling.  It didn't look like the traditional security cameras, so I thought it could wait until after the session.  I asked the teacher, and he told me it was only on at night.  To double check, I asked the campus police about the matter.  They didn't know about it, so the policeman took me to the art department's office and inquired.  Yes, the cameras are on all the time, (however they reportedly only record at night).  I saw live feeds of the room I was in as well as others.

Thank the Heavens for police.  Because of the policeman's insistence the matter will be dealt with immediately.  This has happened before and there was not as much muscle to hold my back.  Please, if you live in Austin or the surrounding area email me at recyled.vision@gmail.com, or just post on this blog so we can start this Art Models Guild.  We need to support each other.  And as a reminder: be observant. Even the art teacher who works there didn't notice the camera.  Good luck to you all.

Winter

I love modeling this pose. It conveys so much expression. I've always been enchanted with winter, whether it is portrayed by a muse or not. I was sincerely hoping that Austin would get a...half an inch maybe, but I should realize I'm in Texas.

Actually, I'm in Arizona on winter break. Just arrived this afternoon. Universities are out and I will return to work in the fabric store when I get back in town. It's kinda sad, though. I hear the light from the North is especially beautiful in the winter, and I already miss modeling.

For those fortunate to find work in the holiday season, make sure your host has a space heater. If not raise bloody hell to make the room warmer, or politely remind him/her that their utility bill will be lower if they just heat you instead of all the artists. Your choice. Here's a tip from Ideal Bite, a wonderful environmental resource.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the cold as much as I do. It's perfect for sewing and reading a good book...or blog. Cheers.

back to work

Networking is the essence of getting art modeling gigs. Usually one acquires gigs at the session they're working. At least that is true for me. So I carry at least a few business cards and a planner. You're better off setting a date that moment instead of waiting for a call. Because I carry a 2009 planner I have six gigs already for the upcoming year.

As far as business cards, this might be innate knowledge for y'all, but never put your physical address on your card. Name, phone number, and email are all that is needed. If you have a website all the better, put that too. People really do check them out. Anyway, best of luck!