spring habit..easier on the eyes.

my version of beauty is kinda vague and very encompassing.  it's not just makeup and white teeth, it's everything. okay, that explains nothing. i mean simply that the bluebonnets on the highway are pretty and i want them to stay there for Lady Bird Johnson's memory. buses are amazing since using them is the best way to reduce air pollution in our city.  don't be scared of the homeless, if you know how to stare at your feet you should do fine.  plus it's fun to run into Leslie.

that said, it's easier said than done to devote 2 hours of your day to beauty. riding the bus kinda makes it easy: one hour there, one hour back = done. the day before that i sewed and finished a pretty bag, and right now i'm still working on my last hour for today.

i'll give you something prettier to look at; however, it is intricate to the deaths of those faraway sea birds. i speak of caps. #5 plastic bottle caps. "Plastic bottle caps are one of the top 10 items found during marine debris beach clean-ups and the second most littered item after cigarette butts" (Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii).  when looking at the photos of the Midway birds that's what i saw primarily. fortunately Aveda recycles them and because of that i'm switching my skin care regimen to their products. so today i am going to promote beauty with Aveda.  how's that for pretty?  stop by their shop at Barton Creek Mall and drop yours off.  have a good night, best wishes for a beautiful day tomorrow.

the first day of spring

It's interesting to see people talk about the weather. It was cold outside today and didn't feel exactly like spring, but it was its first day. I do it mostly to engage in conversation when there is nothing else appropriate to say. Kinda sad really, but you really see how people react to nature. Sometimes I wish I could say what's on my mind, but you can't always do that. So yes, it's sad but true: I am avoiding talking about what's really important to me.

How's that for an icebreaker? :laugh: I haven't written on this blog in awhile for various reasons, but mainly I hate editing myself for fear of losing my job. Honesty is sometimes inappropriate and will always be in certain circles. But here, I will write about beauty, the environment, Austin, modeling of course, and the resources we have at our disposal. I'll try to write more. Promise.

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.

Get yourself an education!

I've been listening to M.I.A. non-stop, so I thought I'd add a bit of her in here. There's a cute skit where she says that. Anyway, painting my nails orange is high on my agenda today. :laugh:

Thought I'd refer to you some books on beauty since beauty magazines are trash. Really. "Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly," Baz Luhrman said once. But books, oh lovely books educate you and are not subsidized by advertisements. They are free to tell you things that will not profit the beauty industry. So here, I'll include a few about Japanese beauty. Enjoy.

PS. Beauty Up, Laura Miller

Inner Peace, Outer Beauty; Michelle D. Leigh

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!"

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.

places to model in Austin

When I first moved here I thought UT was the only place to art model. Wrong. Try Laguna Gloria and AVAA (Austin Visual Arts Association), Austin Community College, but weigh your options.

With colleges I've just gone to the art department's main office and asked if they needed any models. I've gotten most university gigs that way. Austin Community College pay schedule is erratic, however, there are many campuses with many art instructors. My favorite place to model is University of Texas based on many things. You become a quasi-employee there, so they pay you on a schedule that the Art Department will explain. Because you are staff (add quasi) you will receive a UT ID that lets you on buses for free. I looove that perk. Their sessions run four hours long, so the pay is better; however, I've heard they don't hire unexperienced models. This may be a rumor.

The other locations usually pay you on the spot after the session in cash. If you are modeling for an indivual artist expect a check for that session. As far as Night Moves and Dr. Sketchy's, please try them out and tell me about them. I haven't gotten to them yet. Have fun and good luck!