Life Drawing


 August 23, 2021


Thursday night open figure drawing nights at the Delmer studio finally resumed again last month after restrictions lifted and enough people had gotten vaccinated.  The studio is not part of Art Center, but lots of art center students drop into this figure drawing session to get valuable figure drawing time in, so we were all super thrilled when word got out that the life drawing session was starting up again.  You can drop a suggested donation of $ 15 in the box by the door and you get a figure model who will start with three and five minute warm-up poses, then go into 20 minute, and then half hour poses to complete the three hour session.  Artists attending would all need to keep masks on, but the model, who is in the center, away from everyone else would be nude, and without a mask.


This Thursday night, Rita, one of my favorite models arrived, but to everyone’s surprise, her eight year old daughter walked in the door with her.  Everyone settled into the risers with their boards, pastels and char-coal pencils, Rita emerged from the bathroom wearing a silk robe, and kissed her little Sarah, telling her “Baby, you set the timer and watch the time for mommy.  Call out when I am ready for the next pose.”





Rita removed her robe and got up on the pedestal, completely nude while Sarah sat at the foot of the pedestal, watching the timer for the poses.  For most of the session, Sarah was very good, but she started to get restless during the longer poses at the end.  As Rita settled into her last, and longest pose of the night, Sarah got up on the pedestal with her and hugged her.


“Baby, if you are going to be up here with me, you have to be very still.”  Rita Smiled, eyeing the timer. “Can you do that for me?”  Sarah actually did a remarkable job of holding a pose, and I think I got one of my all time favorite figure sketches done the end of that night.


After the session, I went to get Mexican food with Ron, Alison and Bev, my Art Center pals who came to the drawing session.  We munched on tacos and quesadillas while flipping thru each other’s drawing pads outside a taqueria.  At one point Ron took a gulp of his soda and speculated.  “Well, that poor kid is probably going to have a lifetime of therapy to go to.”  Everyone was suddenly a bit somber.


I squinted at one of Alison’s drawings and replied, “I don’t know.  She actually gets to see how confident and beautiful her mother is, in a way that none of us is ever going to see our parents, that pure, that real.”


Ron blinked at me, amazed.   “Would you want to see your mother up there?”


“Ron”, I responded “you act like there is something shameful, or wrong with a person posing for us.  Tell me, do you come to the drawing session because you’re a pervert?”


“No!  Of course not.”  Ron said defensively.


“Why do you come?”  I asked.


“Because the human body is one of the most complex, and beautiful things to draw.”  Ron explained.  “To master human anatomy is to master drawing.”


“Beautiful and complex.”  I repeated his words.  “Your gut reaction to nudity is that it’s shameful, because you’ve been conditioned to react that way, but when you really think about it, when you use your intellect in considering human nudity, it is beautiful and real - and yes, by the way, I would be proud of my mom posing for us.”


Ron grudgingly agreed and Alison and Bev winked at me.


“Who needs more salsa verde?”  I ask holding up a little plastic dish.

Comments

  1. I appreciate your comment. I consider myself an experienced naturist, accustomed to seeing families enjoying the day nude together. I have to admit that when Rita first started posing for the class in front of her daughter, I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it, but half way thru the drawing session, I realized it was a positive and beautiful lesson for Sarah. I can imagine how hard it was for the other artists at the session who weren’t naturists to accept. My hope is that it left seeds in everyone’s minds that being naked is a healthy state of being, where our children and others can see us at our best.

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    1. Ha! Yes, indeed. I was a male art model for 12 years modeling for both university classes and local community centers. I had a lady bring her daughter (probably 6) once while I was posing. She acted as if it was nothing unusual. The kid wasn't gawking or giving me the impression she was uncomfortable. I wasn't sure whether to object or not, but I figured I'd not bring any awkwardness to the situation and simply did my job. I don't pose so much anymore. Now, I photograph the nude... and landscape, and portraiture, mostly. Your story is likely the most interesting I've read in awhile, where naturism is concerned. Very beautifully written and exceptionally illustrated.

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