Ryan was drawing me. I was in a reclining pose on my back. I got up after the timer beeped for my break. I was rubbing my sacrum area because it was sore (I am bony, and even just laying there will eventually cause some part of my body to ache) and I made some comment like, "Sometimes I hate being so bony, it makes laying down tiring" to which he replied, "Oh, is that it? Laying around is exhausting? Is that why I am still tired when I wake up in the morning?" to which I laughed.
I forgot to ask if I could take a photo of the drawing on my phone, which is okay I guess because it was not very far along. Next time!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Mauvais Tree
Photographed by Eric Hiss, June 2012
Somehow I dropped down to 94 lbs o_o It'll bounce back eventually.
I'm thinking about adding a written description about me on my MM profile but I'm not sure what to say. The usual things I see models write about themselves has to do with describing their general appearance, any skills they have, special features, and history of modeling or genres of modeling that they do. I have played with the idea of having a description but ultimately just feel that images show it best because that's how I work, haha. But if anyone has ideas for me, that'd be appreciated :]
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Napa Shoot
Drove out to Napa today for a photoshoot that will (hopefully) have images good enough to use for a large oil painting by the (incredibly) talented Ryan Frederickson ( http://www.ryanfrederickson.com/ ).
I was a bit stressed out because I rescheduled with him sort of last minute and then ended up later than expected to meet him. He didn't seem bothered...I just want to make a good impression to whomever I meet, and hope that didn't make me seem unreliable. But I felt comfortable speaking with him, he has an awesome studio (sigh...wish I had one!) and even more awesome drawings and paintings.
This shoot was particularly interesting because I was modeling basically as I would for a live drawing session but was being photographed. For being a self-taught photographer, I say props to Ryan - the photos I did see looked good! After a while, though, I felt like I was doing the same poses over and over - something that always irks me a little because I feel like that's boring...? But it's not, I suppose - there are so many variations to a pose. Besides, Ryan was working toward a (somewhat vague?) image in mind for this particular painting, and he was very good at helping me out with some instructions for my posing. I wish I could say I was "good enough" to not be directed, but, I think with something like this it makes sense to have direction - and to be honest, I'm glad to have it.
I was pleased, and surprised (as usual) when he said I was a skilled model. Thanks :]
My drive there and back was hot, but not totally unpleasant. I originally planned to stay the day out there, maybe find some good eats and a drink. But I felt like I needed to get home so I stuck out a little traffic. I may be turning in my time (for the future) modeling for him in exchange for some drawing lessons... :D:D:D
I was a bit stressed out because I rescheduled with him sort of last minute and then ended up later than expected to meet him. He didn't seem bothered...I just want to make a good impression to whomever I meet, and hope that didn't make me seem unreliable. But I felt comfortable speaking with him, he has an awesome studio (sigh...wish I had one!) and even more awesome drawings and paintings.
This shoot was particularly interesting because I was modeling basically as I would for a live drawing session but was being photographed. For being a self-taught photographer, I say props to Ryan - the photos I did see looked good! After a while, though, I felt like I was doing the same poses over and over - something that always irks me a little because I feel like that's boring...? But it's not, I suppose - there are so many variations to a pose. Besides, Ryan was working toward a (somewhat vague?) image in mind for this particular painting, and he was very good at helping me out with some instructions for my posing. I wish I could say I was "good enough" to not be directed, but, I think with something like this it makes sense to have direction - and to be honest, I'm glad to have it.
I was pleased, and surprised (as usual) when he said I was a skilled model. Thanks :]
My drive there and back was hot, but not totally unpleasant. I originally planned to stay the day out there, maybe find some good eats and a drink. But I felt like I needed to get home so I stuck out a little traffic. I may be turning in my time (for the future) modeling for him in exchange for some drawing lessons... :D:D:D
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Commute
I had a shoot with Eric Hiss on Monday - so strange for me to be modeling weekdays! I drove out to the city - the second time in three days. We met in the beautiful Golden Gate Park. I was glad to be out and about, it was a gorgeous day. We shot by a really cool tree not far from the road. The lighting was spotty, but I'm hoping we were still able to create some beautiful images. Eventually, I did get cold - yes, it may be summer in San Francisco but it's not as warm as it is where I live on the other side of the bay - and we wrapped it up and left. I drove home in traffic (again, in rush hour bay area traffic for the second time in three days). But this time I had pliers in my car with me so I could adjust the broken fan knob in my car ;]
But, to be honest, commute doesn't drive me quite as nuts as some people. It's most likely because I don't do it all that often...but I just kick back with my tunes and a clove and I'm okay. As long as no one does anything stupid on the road I'm pretty relaxed. I have been making sure to keep water and non-meltable snacks in my car, which helps when I start feeling icky but can't just pull off the road because I'm in stop and go traffic. This is important because I have noticed that I'm a bit of a grazer - I need to eat often throughout the day, but in small amounts. I'm glad my AC works and that I have a sun roof. My car may be old, but she's a good car, and she's taken me many miles around here and out to Oregon. I like to drive her....but not in the rain as much.
End babble....
Photos when I get 'em [:
But, to be honest, commute doesn't drive me quite as nuts as some people. It's most likely because I don't do it all that often...but I just kick back with my tunes and a clove and I'm okay. As long as no one does anything stupid on the road I'm pretty relaxed. I have been making sure to keep water and non-meltable snacks in my car, which helps when I start feeling icky but can't just pull off the road because I'm in stop and go traffic. This is important because I have noticed that I'm a bit of a grazer - I need to eat often throughout the day, but in small amounts. I'm glad my AC works and that I have a sun roof. My car may be old, but she's a good car, and she's taken me many miles around here and out to Oregon. I like to drive her....but not in the rain as much.
End babble....
Photos when I get 'em [:
Life/Body Casting Modeling...part two
Here are the said photos of me covered in stuff to become a mold for a sculpture. I barely recognize myself in there! :p
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Life/Body Casting Modeling
Today I had the joy to experience being made into a mold for a potential garden sculpture. This was the most different kind of modeling I've done yet, and I can't wait to see photos of the process and to see the finished piece.
I drove in the heat of the early afternoon to Morgan Hill, cursing at my car's broken fan knob...I for some dumb reason turned it down but once it's turned down it's very difficult to turn back up without a pair of pliers. I got some blisters on my fingers from trying to turn it...eventually I gave up and just drove with the windows cracked. I made it to Greg's home and he greeted me outside. We chatted and he gave me a small tour of the place and introduced me to his wife and his (adorable!) three year old German Shepard, Haley.
We sat in his studio, a small hand-built shack covered in globs of silicate material - the kind he was going to cover my body with for the mold. He explained the whole process to me, and then I disrobed and got into position so he could place the appropriate rests for me on the pillar I was leaning on. The idea: I am a garden nymph peering from behind a column. So I was leaning on the pillar (a large industrial cardboard tube) and Greg drilled in some pieces of wood with bits of the silicate stuff on them so I could rest my chin, heel, and knee. Then I just did my best to stay still while he began to lay on the goop.
First he covered my hair in cholesterol. No, I don't know if it actually was cholesterol, but it felt and looked a lot like butter, or Vaseline. Then he covered the front of my body, and then worked from my feet up (though he said he was going to start with my face, but, oh well). He then got up to my face...I closed my eyes and relaxed my face as best I could. Unfortunately, I got a bloody nose when we tried putting tubes up my nose so I could breathe (stupid nose) so he had to go without and just get the stuff as close to my nostrils as possible.
Thankfully, Greg had warned me before this point that I may start feeling lightheaded or dizzy during this process. "Bodies are weird," he explained. "When you stand really still for a length of time the blood will just kind of stop getting up into your head. If this happens, just breathe, long, deep breaths." Apparently one of his previous models actually fainted in the middle of being cast as a mold. So I hoped this wouldn't happen to me - the whole dizzy feeling - but, it did. I felt uncomfortable and awkward covered in this shell of goop and tried to keep myself calm and breathed, just as he said. But it didn't seem to help. Because my mouth was covered, I couldn't speak - but he had planned for this. One grunt was "yes" and two grunts was "no". He asked, "Are you feeling all right?" :grunt grunt:"Dizzy?" :grunt: "Just keep breathing."
After a few more minutes my head was spinning as if I were drunk. I also associate dizziness with nausea, so I began to panic, slightly, and tried not to think about what it would be like to have to vomit while my mouth was covered in silica goop. Finally Greg asked, "Do you want me to put the fan on in front of you?" :GRUNT!: He did. And eventually, the feeling ceased, and I was able to enjoy the rest of the process.
The whole sensation of laying the goop on my skin and feeling it dry over time was fascinating. Since my eyes were closed and covered, I just felt like a caterpillar in a cocoon, gripping onto the side of a tree. Then Greg put another layer of this weird, hard foam stuff put on over the silica stuff. When he put that on, it felt very warm and it spread out all over. It was not uncomfortably hot, though. I kind of enjoyed it. Then I could feel the stuff drying around my face, and I imagined that this is what it feels like to be a snake about to shed its old skin. I could tell it was time for the thing to come off...I could feel a gap forming between the silica shell I was in and my skin, though to be honest I worried that that gap formed not because the material was hardening but because I was moving.
Greg took surgical scissors and began to free me from my second skin. It was a relief to get out of there, but also a little sad. I kind of regretted having pubic hair just then, though. Pulling that stuff off that region of my body was incredibly painful, but also funny...we had a good laugh over that. After I was completely free from the mold, we looked at the mold in a giant tub of water he built for his sculpture making. I really hope it turns out well. I put my robe back on and went to take a shower...a very much needed shower. Overall it was a cool experience; I'd definitely do it again. And I'd be more prepared, and probably more relaxed about the lightheaded bit :]
Greg promised me the photos he took when I was completely covered, so, stay tuned :]
I drove in the heat of the early afternoon to Morgan Hill, cursing at my car's broken fan knob...I for some dumb reason turned it down but once it's turned down it's very difficult to turn back up without a pair of pliers. I got some blisters on my fingers from trying to turn it...eventually I gave up and just drove with the windows cracked. I made it to Greg's home and he greeted me outside. We chatted and he gave me a small tour of the place and introduced me to his wife and his (adorable!) three year old German Shepard, Haley.
We sat in his studio, a small hand-built shack covered in globs of silicate material - the kind he was going to cover my body with for the mold. He explained the whole process to me, and then I disrobed and got into position so he could place the appropriate rests for me on the pillar I was leaning on. The idea: I am a garden nymph peering from behind a column. So I was leaning on the pillar (a large industrial cardboard tube) and Greg drilled in some pieces of wood with bits of the silicate stuff on them so I could rest my chin, heel, and knee. Then I just did my best to stay still while he began to lay on the goop.
First he covered my hair in cholesterol. No, I don't know if it actually was cholesterol, but it felt and looked a lot like butter, or Vaseline. Then he covered the front of my body, and then worked from my feet up (though he said he was going to start with my face, but, oh well). He then got up to my face...I closed my eyes and relaxed my face as best I could. Unfortunately, I got a bloody nose when we tried putting tubes up my nose so I could breathe (stupid nose) so he had to go without and just get the stuff as close to my nostrils as possible.
Thankfully, Greg had warned me before this point that I may start feeling lightheaded or dizzy during this process. "Bodies are weird," he explained. "When you stand really still for a length of time the blood will just kind of stop getting up into your head. If this happens, just breathe, long, deep breaths." Apparently one of his previous models actually fainted in the middle of being cast as a mold. So I hoped this wouldn't happen to me - the whole dizzy feeling - but, it did. I felt uncomfortable and awkward covered in this shell of goop and tried to keep myself calm and breathed, just as he said. But it didn't seem to help. Because my mouth was covered, I couldn't speak - but he had planned for this. One grunt was "yes" and two grunts was "no". He asked, "Are you feeling all right?" :grunt grunt:"Dizzy?" :grunt: "Just keep breathing."
After a few more minutes my head was spinning as if I were drunk. I also associate dizziness with nausea, so I began to panic, slightly, and tried not to think about what it would be like to have to vomit while my mouth was covered in silica goop. Finally Greg asked, "Do you want me to put the fan on in front of you?" :GRUNT!: He did. And eventually, the feeling ceased, and I was able to enjoy the rest of the process.
The whole sensation of laying the goop on my skin and feeling it dry over time was fascinating. Since my eyes were closed and covered, I just felt like a caterpillar in a cocoon, gripping onto the side of a tree. Then Greg put another layer of this weird, hard foam stuff put on over the silica stuff. When he put that on, it felt very warm and it spread out all over. It was not uncomfortably hot, though. I kind of enjoyed it. Then I could feel the stuff drying around my face, and I imagined that this is what it feels like to be a snake about to shed its old skin. I could tell it was time for the thing to come off...I could feel a gap forming between the silica shell I was in and my skin, though to be honest I worried that that gap formed not because the material was hardening but because I was moving.
Greg took surgical scissors and began to free me from my second skin. It was a relief to get out of there, but also a little sad. I kind of regretted having pubic hair just then, though. Pulling that stuff off that region of my body was incredibly painful, but also funny...we had a good laugh over that. After I was completely free from the mold, we looked at the mold in a giant tub of water he built for his sculpture making. I really hope it turns out well. I put my robe back on and went to take a shower...a very much needed shower. Overall it was a cool experience; I'd definitely do it again. And I'd be more prepared, and probably more relaxed about the lightheaded bit :]
Greg promised me the photos he took when I was completely covered, so, stay tuned :]
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