New Experiences

Hi everyone!

I'm currently sitting in my room, sans makeup, wearing the baggiest sweatshirt I own and a fuzzy pair of cabin socks.  Why, you may ask, do I mention this?  Because, dear readers.  Nothing feels better than putting on your comfy clothes after a long day at work!  Also, I think this outfit is ideal for writing in.  There's just something about wearing a cozy ensemble that gets the creative juices following...

As you might have guessed, I modeled again today.  However, today was a bit different than normal.  I mentioned in a previous post that a typical modeling session lasts about three hours, with a fair amount of breaks in between.  My session today, though, went from 12:10pm to 6pm.  I kid you not, folks.  I had a modeling job for six hours.

Now, this isn't totally foreign to me.  After all, I've done double shifts before.  But up until today, I had never done a single modeling session that lasted this long.  I had no idea what to expect, other that the typical "set the pose, set the timer, hold it, break, repeat" routine.  All I knew was that I was expected to stay for six hours, and get one long break in between.  Sounds simple enough, right?

In many ways, it was.  But I'll get into that a little later.  When I've worked long modeling hours in the past, I tend to plan my entire day around it.  Last night, I went to bed around 10pm so I could wake up at 6:30am.  I know that sounds crazy when my job didn't even start until the afternoon, but I wanted to make sure I got some things done.  I've never really been one for exercising in the morning,  since I like to save my workouts for the end of the day.  But I squeezed in some yoga and a leg workout, and even had time to make buttermilk pancakes with a side of blueberry and granola laden yogurt for breakfast.  I must admit, it did feel good to get my workout done so early.  Definitely helped set me up for the rest of my day.

When I arrived at my modeling session, everything looked as typical as could be.  The modeling stand was set up, as was the area for the students to paint in.  But soon after the class and the instructor arrived, things started to get a little more interesting.  In past modeling sessions, I'll normally be on a fairly bare stand, with the exception of a chair or my yoga mat.  Today, though, something very exciting happened.  Within minutes, the students and instructor got a bunch of props and fabrics to drape and decorate the stand with and created a very surreal, also Dali like space for me to pose in.  They used so many things, including a broken Grecian bust,  a wet floor sign, and a faux deer head.  (No lie!). For a minute, I felt more like my actress self, waiting to deliver some kind of post-modern monologue.  It was so cool to see everything come together, and I couldn't have been more excited to pose.

Since the session was longer than normal, I got to choose a seated pose for the entirety of the class.  I ended up sitting against the wall with my legs bent in a kind of "mermaid position."  Not a bad posture to hold...but I was feeling it in my body after a while.  I know I've mentioned several times that modeling is tiring, but I'm not exaggerating.  After I held my pose for a few times, my left leg started to go numb.  It got to the point that right before my timer beeped, I couldn't stand up or walk without wobbling like a newborn colt.  It didn't feel great, but the good news is that my leg quickly woke up during each of my breaks.  No injuries or massive pain, unlike that fish on "Spongebob Squarepants."  (MY LEG!!!)

I once read that if a limb goes numb during a modeling session, it helps to subtly press into another body part to help distract yourself from the uncomfortableness.  I tried doing this today by pressing the heel of my left hand into my yoga mat.  I was able to regain some feeling in my leg...but I think I might have strained my wrist because of it.  It's a little sore tonight, but it's not serious.  It's nothing that a gentle self massage won't cure!

One of the great things about modeling for longer amount of time today was getting to hear the instructors comments and insights.  I loved hearing all the information he gave to the students about how to structure their paintings and what details to pay attention to.  Again, I was totally blown away by how fast they were all able to grasp this information and put it to use.  I know it comes from years of practice and study, but I have to admit; it sometimes seems magical when I see how the students can alter their works in just a few minutes.

But the coolest thing about today, though, was getting to see the final products at the end of the class.  There were so many different interpretations of the pose I did, but all of them were so interesting to look at.  I think all the student really nailed the phantasmic quality of the area surrounding me, and it's always fascinating to see the different ways I can be physically interpreted.  It's definitely one of the best parts of my job.

And there you have it.  Even though the hours were longer than what I'm used to, it was a great modeling session today.  Now though, it's time for some well deserved rest.  I think there's a hot shower upstairs calling my name... ;)

See you soon!