Model

On Sunday Kirk and I took reference photos of Roxanne for his next series of paintings - actually he has multiple things in the works right now but he has thought about painting Roxanne for a long time and he had a lull while he was waiting to get photos of another model so he asked her, she was available, and it was a good way to spend the afternoon.  

Roxanne kept saying that she didn't really know how to model - and of

 course, she's aware that we've used models before who have modeled on a more regular basis, as a job - so she was a little nervous about that aspect of it I think.  

I think the images pretty much speak for themselves.  Roxanne was a very good model.

A million years ago I modeled for a couple of years. I made very little money - and often none, because sometimes the agency I worked for would get us jobs for the experience - sometimes working long hours but I have to say, I always thought it was a blast.

Modeling isn't as easy as it looks. (though to be fair it sure beats the heck out of being a maid, which I've also done a summer or two) .  When I was young, I was heavily influenced by Diane Lane and Phoebe Cates in a 17 magazine photo shoot.

 And Janice Dickinson seemed really fabulous back in the early 80s, before she became the mess she is today.  
I don't know why some of these photographs influenced me so much.  But it made me think it would be really fun to be a model.  Actually, it was really fun to be a model.  But somewhere while I was doing it I realized that I could never be a 'real' model.  I was at a fitting for a runway show for Jay Jacobs.  At the time, Jay Jacobs had all the coolest 80s clothes.  There were two other girls getting fitted with me.  The stylist took one look at me and said "oh, interesting, I'm going to have to go back and re-think what we were going to have you wear...I didn't realize we were going to get any models who are a real size."  I was a size 7.  A 9 on a "bloated" day.  The other two girls were a 3 and a 5.  Also there was the realization that I was too short.  The other girls were both 5 foot 9.  I was 5 foot 5.  I still modeled a few times after that, but honestly, it sort of ruined the whole fantasy of it, knowing that I could never be a 'real' model because I was a 'real' size (oh and the irony of how much I'd love to be that 'real' size now...and how much I hated my size at the time).  My favorite type of modeling though was having photos taken.  

Roxanne was worried that all the other photos that have been taken of her were done as candids and that she wasn't really "modeling". But good models need a couple of things, 1. a brain and 2. awareness. Roxanne had both, which is why her photos turned out so well. When you understand where you fit in relation to the frame and when you are curious enough to be thinking about what you're doing the entire time - analyzing it and moving and thinking, then you get good shots. (and it doesn't hurt to be cute or gorgeous or at least interesting)

We've taken photos of Hollie and Hillary and they are both gorgeous as well.
I promised Roxanne copies of the photos so I'm slowly wading through all of them. Kirk has already been picking some of his favorite and thinking about canvas and panel sizes for paintings. I'll post a little slideshow of Roxanne's photos when I'm all finished sorting through everything and picking out all the best ones.