Objects and Space

Hi everyone!

Before I begin, I have to take a second to say something...

I'M BACK HOME FOR THANKSGIVING BREAK!!!

I arrived yesterday afternoon after a long train ride from the city.  As I write this post, I'm currently sitting on the couch in my living room with a warm blanket wrapped around my legs.  A rerun of "Chopped" is on, and my cat is in the other room, waiting for me to come play with him.  I couldn't be happier that this is how my night is going.  It's such a great feeling knowing that I'll be back in upstate New York for the rest of the week, and that I'll get some time to relax and be with my family.

Taking some time off to recharge is exactly what I need right now, considering this past week in the city was CRAZY!  I did two substitute teaching jobs, an audition, and modeled every single day before I came home.  I'm sore in places I didn't know could get sore, and my energy is at an all time low.  But in spite of this, I'm happy with everything that happened during my modeling sessions this past week.

If there's one thing I've learned over the past few days, it's that when you model seven days in a row, it can be hard to come up with different poses each time you're at work.  For example, I was in a class this past week which met Monday through Friday.  While the total number of students did change from night to night, most of the same pupils showed up for each session.  Since I had a lot of the same people drawing me each time I modeled, I didn't want to get stuck in the pattern of doing the same poses each time I was on the stand.  How did I solve this dilemma?  By using some things I like to call "objects and space" in my poses.  (See what I did there?)

Before each class started, the instructor brought out a few things that I could use in my poses.  Chairs, stools, and a long, wooden rod were among the object present.  The first few nights I modeled, I didn't use any of these things in my poses, mostly because I had no idea what to do with them.  In the past, I've felt more comfortable just posing with my body, because I tend have a better sense of how to position myself when I don't have to worry about using an object in a creative way.

But as the week went on, I started to wonder more about using the props in my poses.  I also was reminded of all the theatre classes I'd taken in the past.  Exercises where I had to use props in a new and creative way came to mind.  Think of the "Props" segment on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" only much more still and much less raunchy.  So, I decided to take a chance one night and use one of the objects I'd been given.

Turns out this was something I should have done a long time ago, because I had a lot of fun figuring out how to use the props I had in my poses.  The first thing I grabbed was the long wooden rod.  I slung my arms over it and tilted to the side a bit, kind of like a scarecrow.  After that, my imagination went wild and I used the rod as a bunch of different things.  A baseball bat, a broom, a fishing rod, and even a javelin.  I found out pretty fast that only did this make my poses more interesting, but it helped me focus my mind in a new way.  As I posed, I started to think up stories based on the positions I was in.  For example, the "broom pose" inspired a Cinderella-esque story about a poor, young maiden living in the Renaissance era, trying to clean her home.  Not only did this make the time go by faster, but it also made me feel like I was back in those theatre classes again.  If you know me, you probably know just how happy this made me feel.

I also modeled in another class this week where I was instructed to use the wall behind me in my shorter poses.  To be honest, I went a little wild with this direction.  I ended up doing things like clawing the wall, extending and pressing my arms into it, and wrapping myself around the corners.  I felt very much like the woman in "The Yellow Wallpaper."

"I've gotten out at last,...in spite of you and Jane?"

Needless to say, I had a lot of fun with these poses.  Getting to use my acting abilities while I modeled was tons of fun.  I can only hope that I'll get to do something like this again sometime soon. Who knows?  Maybe I'll write down one of the stories that runs through my head and post it on here.

Now that my work week is over, though, I'm soaking up every moment of rest I have before I return to the city.  Hopefully this will help me get over the cold I caught over the weekend.  That, taking naps, and eating plenty of Thanksgiving food with my family sound like the perfect cure!  Don't you agree?

See you soon!