My Eternal Quest for Eroticism of the Highest Order

During some of my interesting discussions with Xanthropy, I am struck by the thought that although I am an Erotic Artist, who paints, amongst other things, erotic art (I’m stating the bleeding obvious here, but bear with me) I am also on a quest to find out what IS the true definition of “Erotic”. Simple, you would think.............. and yet it isn’t. I am constantly on the search for erotic things. But do I become too desensitised from erotic images because I analyse them so much, as its “work” for me. I hope not, but maybe....

Because it is slightly different for each of us, there is no “definitive erotic”, there is only a “specific but mirage erotic”. What on earth do I mean by that? ............Well, as erotic is slightly different for all of us, someone might find one image erotic but someone else won’t, they may find it too tame, or too pornographic for their tastes.

When I talk about “specific but mirage” - erotic IS specific, I could state various specific things that I would find erotic, but it could waver off the erotic in a mirage will-o-the-wisp sort of way, if something else is involved that I don’t find erotic. And sometimes it's actually the background to it that makes it erotic.

For example, the other night in the pub I was standing chatting to Xanthropy and he nodded towards a girl he referred to as “a Paris Hilton lookalike”. I looked over at who he was referring to, and realised I knew her very very slightly although I don’t know her name, I know a little of her background. Xanthropy’s opinion of her was low, because of the outfit she was wearing, plus he thought her too thin, he prefers a more curvaceous woman. My opinion was higher as I knew she wasn’t the tart he took her for. I thought her outfit was stunning, although outrageous in an acceptable way for a nice pub. Certainly she got away with it as she was very slim and young. A fatter or older woman couldn’t have carried it off. You’re now wondering what she was wearing, so I’ll describe it for you. She was wearing a black sleeveless tee shirt, which covered her breasts and came just below her bottom. But over the top of it was a shocking pink very loose singlet that hung down as far as her mid thighs, but because of the low slung design of it she was showing about an inch of pale thigh at the outside of her body between the black top and the pink singlet. She wasn’t showing anything sexual at all. But that little bit of pale thigh was very visible, sometimes a little more depending on how she was moving, and I found it very erotic and thought she looked great. Xanthropy disagreed with me and thought it tacky. I went over to her, she’d had a lot to drink, was in a group of people, and had her boyfriend and mum with her. I told her how much I liked the outfit and she thanked me. Her boyfriend said I was the first to say that to her, and I felt they both appreciated my comment. I went back to stand with Xanthropy and told him that I thought she looked really good. But I think that it was partly because I knew she had her boyfriend with her, (who couldn’t keep his hands off her and the gap in her dress by the way!). She wasn’t on the pull. She was having a nice night out. And for me, that made the outfit acceptable. And sexy. And erotic.

Its frissons of electrifying interest that make things erotic, for me. The odd word, or group of words, a look, an elicit touch, or all of those things put together. There is certainly a deep sensuality about it. I always describe erotic as subtle, and for me it is. Its not quite everything you want, its the chase but its a little held back, its a tease, a waiting, something that increases the wanting, a promise of something delicious and desirable on its way soon..... That’s how erotic is. For me.

It sounds like a Burlesque performance, and maybe it is.

And that’s what I try to draw.