More Painting Classes

I started modeling this morning for a 10 week long painting class. This is the only pose I will do for each class session for the entirety of the class. I am kind of wishing I could be getting a massage right now.

The students for this class have their basic drawing skills down and are not foreign to painting, which is neat. I love the casual feel to the class and how lively and talkative and friendly everyone is. I even get coffee so I am happy even if I can feel that my lower back is going to hate me later.

With permission, I may later share some of the student work as we move through the weeks for this class :]

Below is a picture of an in progress painting by Jody Mattison, the instructor.

AfterThoughts

Photos by Dan West, March 2013

I've been silent on here for a while. I've had a few very positive modeling gigs this month, which have also supplied my first months' rent (yay!). I have mixed feelings about being a pretty much pay-only model now, but at least I'm flexible. I had a nice hike and shoot with Dan West, who upon meeting I immediately liked. There was no nervousness or awkwardness at all. I think this is the second photog I've had this kind of experience with, which is exciting. That usually implies to me a kind of creative connection that is rare...or that I'm just loosening up a little and getting more comfortable with this whole modeling thing. In any case, I'm pretty happy with some of the photos and also looking forward to our potential trip to Death Valley next month for a few days of shooting there. Maybe I'll be able to work up a little tan :P

I've been modeling for painting classes and drawing classes, which I still love to do. I just have to laugh at myself a little for sometimes being a little jealous of the artists who are there to draw/paint while I'm modeling. I haven't done much of my own artwork lately and it's starting to bother me. I guess I should get on that. I do love modeling but I also love drawing, and there must be a balance of helping others learn and create while continuing my own learning and creating.

I just caved recently and got an iPhone. I feel so funny with it, and it still feels a little out of place in my life. But I think it will be a very useful tool in the long run, and I look forward to figuring it all out (no pun intended). :P

I think that's it for now. I'll try to keep updating, so stay tuned :]

Thoughts on Canceling....

I am not perfect. I have last-minute cancelled on photoshoots because of feeling ill (I have a history of gastritis and attacks of nausea), feeling not my best to model that day (usually a combination of insecurity due to some sort of physicality issue and feeling emotionally drained), or because I have forgotten about a previous commitment. It is usually something that I can reschedule with the photog, if he/she is willing - but understandably, they are not always. But I wonder how easy it is to find (nude) models? It seems the photog is hurting him/herself and the model by not allowing some degree of flexibility.
(For photography it seems pretty easy to find models, and to be honest I have only ever last-minute cancelled on photography, never for life drawing or painting).

Sometimes the photog is part of a team that does not reschedule "flaky" models
(I say in quotes because I personally do not think it is flaking if there has been communication that I can't show - even last minute. I personally think of flaking as simply  not showing at all, with no serious thought or attempt to communicate. I do realize this is not the general meaning of the phrase, but, maybe because I know I have good intentions and would follow through if given a chance to reschedule, is my reasoning)
or no-shows which to a fundamental degree I can "get", but I feel it's a bit of a harsh rule. Not only does the photog by their own "rules" lose a model completely, but the model loses a photog completely, even before meeting! Somehow that just seems wrong to me. If there was a negative experience or a lack of communication than that by all means would allow for the model and photog to cancel each other out. I would agree that a "flaky" model may not ever get a third chance to model for the team again due to that last-minute cancelling, but writing them off the list of potential models right away seems harsh to me. Maybe that's just me & my way of doing things. I would always give a second chance, and then strike out.
But to be fair, as a 'professional' model I do need to stop doing that. It's all a matter of taking care of myself, which I am still working on. (Funny, you'd think that models had their shit together, but some of us, like myself, don't seem to....)

What do you guys think? Am I just not taking things seriously enough? To be honest I feel with art models there is or could be room for flexibility - we're not doing high end fashion-y stuff or anything that needs to be done by a deadline, right? So what is all the fuss about? o___O
I may just need some convincing words to get my thoughts straightened out. Or not.
*ponders*