95

I love art modeling. I'm gonna be that ninety-year old that freshmen hate to draw. Wrinkles. Oh! I have a freckle at the end of my nose. Not quite a mole, as would become a hag, but close. I love art modeling since students are trained to draw all kinds of people, not just the stick figures in magazines.

But I wonder, will I get gigs like I do now? Probably not. Beauty is an important part of most pictures. I originally began to model so I could look back and see my beautiful self captured in art. Now I just love being part of the creation and spark. With art modeling, beauty helps, but it's truly whether you can hold the poses. Is your body strong? So onwards with the yoga and exercise, you'll see me when I'm an old lady that's for sure - ugly or not.

By the way, my granny's turning 95 tomorrow. Bought her my one of my favorite books in large print. After doing some research in finding a photo, I came across a quote from Ann Althouse regarding H. Clinton's wrinkles:

We make high demands on women. A picture like this of a male candidate would barely register. … We need to get used to older women and get over the feeling that when women look old they are properly marginalized as “old ladies.” If women are to exercise great power, they will come into that power in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. We must — if we care about the advancement of women — accommodate our vision and see a face like this as mature, experienced, serious — the way we naturally and normally see men’s faces.

And so this goes on...since it took me a damn long time to find an image of an old lady I'd like to emulate, one who embraces fun beauty and won't let anyone take it from her, I present to you the Italian Vogue Magazine fashion writer, Anna Piaggi. It's so hard to find professional portrait photography of old women nowadays! Goodnight, and happy birthday grams!

The Focus of a Photograph

I would add a picture, but I think it would counterproductive to my point. Beauty, culture are intricate to a society...just not ours. There are many islands in the United States where this is not true, but for the most part we're obsessed with movies and celebrities.

I'm not going to be a hypocrite. I love Angelina Jolie. I try to support her by buying magazines with her on the cover. All the strength and compassion she represents should be part of our media. I hate how we, or even just I, can be saturated with media, though. There are so many photos of celebrity tattoos, but more importantly of their bodies. People were obsessed about how fat Britney Spears once was. It's just sometimes I wish I had mosaics surrounding me instead of billboards of pretty faces. I don't want to be another model whose cute ass is the discussion of blogs instead of ...well... loftier things. :laugh:

Summer by Mucha

There's something poetic about a midsummer night. Beautiful about watching the sun set late in the evening.

Yet, all I did was finish a list of chores. Yes, I finished a book. Yes, I made dinner, took out the trash, and figured out a logo. But I haven't seen the sun rise or fall intentionally for 3 years...or maybe 4. Isn't that sad?

I feel good that I attune myself to the seasons, although there are really only two in Austin. But really, I stay inside most of the time. Trust me, I'm not bored. I sew, I read, and practice yoga. Just wanted to make a confession in hopes that a friend will take me to see a sunset or sunrise.

PS The painting is one of Alphonse Mucha's seasons, this one marking the summer solstice.

Health Care Reform Fun

What do you do for fun? Uh...I watch Health Care reform videos from the White House...yeah. I just realized how dorky that can be.

Well, I could write a post on societal position and the absence of clothes. :laugh: Too bad. It's health care reform and its effects on the art model community. Nudity will be a discussion for another night.

Without further ado, I present President Barack Obama.

"I suffer no illusions that this will be an easy process. It will be hard. But I also know that nearly a century after Teddy Roosevelt first called for reform, the cost of our health care has weighed down our economy and the conscience of our nation long enough. So let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year." – President Barack Obama, February 24, 2009

Health care is a major issue in the guild we are creating. For me, it was the reason to start the guild, so I wouldn't have to work two jobs. I am very fortunate that my part-time job provides health insurance, but I look forward to the day, or rather days, that I have a two day weekends. In the discussion, it was mentioned that Americans pay more for health care than they do for shelter or food. Please read for yourself, for the White House staff is a bit more eloquent than I am. Aaahnd if you'd rather watch, here's some White House teevee.

Take care, and remember "Knowing's half the battle!"

hool_ found on photo.net

hool_ is an artist.  in control. s/he decides what they want to show the world.

model = powerless. you are exactly what they want you to be.

me. i respect photo models, but i do not want to be one. i am decent at it, and it makes good money, but i'd rather be in control.  besides, there are too many models in the world and i wouldn't add much.

there is so much more to give the world than my pretty face. so i'm going to develop different skills instead of worrying about my pores. if i began on this path, i'd want to be covered. i'd cower and want to hide.  not exactly a good model.  i know how to be professional and hide this feeling, but it'd be way too much effort.

this doesn't mean i'm dropping art modeling.  in fact, i'm going to practice to be a better art model.  i feel safe. i'll never be famous and in tabloids that focus on how fat i am.  and that is my wish: to be beautiful and safe in the art world.

Meetup Group

So sorry for the delay!  We have a new meetup.com group!  Please visit us here, and join as an Austin art model, if you like.  Take care.

Nowruz Resolution

It's always fun to listen to the beach on yoga videos.  Pretend that you're somewhere exotic practicing the age-old tradition of yoga.  Sand going in between your toes while you stretch into a downward dog.  Nope!  My routine entails a VCR and a nifty, old TV.  You lose a bit of the exotic charm but gain a bit of practicality.  I'm doing this routine a few times each week.

Long time ago my boyfriend at the time and I dropped in on a garage sale and I bought all these VHS tapes. They sat collecting dust for a good couple of months before I decided to use them.  Now they're becoming a habit.  My only worry is that I'm doing the positions terribly wrong, so I'm going to sit in a yoga class and see if the instructor can correct me if he/she sees fit.

Other than that, I'm keeping up with my Nowruz resolution, and that makes me really happy.  Take care.

There is a lot of failure in the road to success.

That is a paraphrase of Eve Larson, an Austin portrait artist and teacher.  It amazes me that for years (I think she gave it up after five.) she did a contour drawing of her own hand every morning.  Such attention to detail morning after morning led to her adept skill in drawing hands.  If everyone had her level of determination!  

Eve has focus.  She's been learning and teaching art for I think twenty years now.  For me I am constantly straddling art modeling and sewing.  As of March I decided to dedicate this period of my life to art modeling and all that goes with it: yoga, the guild, et cetera.  I've been practicing yoga, or keeping my new year's resolution.  However, my level of practice is far below Eve's daily routine.  Perhaps my morning yoga will be more of a habit in time.

"Where would Rembrandt be without his models?"

Today I went to my nephew's first birthday party.  It was lovely to see the young lad, happy and gurgling.  He didn't fuss whatsoever, and apparently he didn't have a nap.  Props to the birthday boy! 

I saw a lot of my family on my sister's side.  I met her grandmother, Ginny, and her husband "Doc."  My mom was there along with my step-father so this was a family event.  After talking with my own grandmother I realized how embarrassed my family can become with me openly talking about my profession.  I know to some of you it's a "No, duh?" kind of statement...but really...do we all have to be shameful about our bodies? I'm not asking everyone to run around naked, but at least have a bit of respect when someone is nude.  The only reason that I do model is because I get that respect in the art world.  But as far as the outside world, when someone is naked it's bad.  Naughty.  Licentious.  Sexuality and sensuality are certainly conjured up when someone is naked...but do we have to look down on them? I respect strippers and know that not all of them are stupid or strung out.  Some own property or used the job financially to start their own business. 

So I'm an art model.  Apparently the classiest nude profession there is.  I kept my words checked and told everyone who asked that I was a model and I worked at a fabric shop.  All true to an extent.  I made sure to say 'model' so my parents wouldn't be embarrassed.  All nudity was in the wraps.  Then Ginny told me how proud she was that I was organizing models.  I had to tell her the uncensored truth.  She told me I sounded like I was apologizing for my profession.  I was.  It was so sweet when she looked up at my step-father and remarked, "Where would Rembrandt be without his models?"  It was nice.  My step-father didn't have a coherent retort.  Thank you, Ginny.  You just made my week.  I wish there were more of you out there in that generation.  I'm glad I make you proud.

Hiya!  We're meeting tomorrow evening at the Green Muse Cafe.  We will be discussing our collective vision for the guild in this great land of Texas.  Bring your ideas, pens, and wishes for the guild's future.  All over a cup of coffee.  See you there!

Together All Can Be Attained

"There never is a shortage of suffering."  Really there isn't.  This quote is from Victoria Moran's book where she discusses volunteering and developing compassion, however, and the limit to all of it.  There is a limit to each of us.  I can't watch the news; I have to read or listen to it.  The last thing I want to be is apathetic and desensitized.

This photo was serenity in relation to the other images taken from South Africa last year in May.  Apparently, the native, black South Africans "armed with clubs, machetes and torches," attacked immigrants from neighboring countries.

The point is: get out of your house and help.  Volunteer somewhere.  Really, it's kinda like religion but a little more tactile.  I'm drained from working on the guild stuff, but it felt so good this morning to help some other organization out.  If we only think of ourselves or our own little problems, we swallow ourselves up and forget there's a world out there.  There is truly a whole world of problems, yet focusing on a part of it brings me joy, not despair.  Help out where you can, but at the very least be conscious of everything you do and how it affects others.

These hands are not fighting.  They're enjoying the common good . . . together.