Getting turned on to drawing

The recent comments by Honoranddesire and Hornmaleuk have made me consider what people suspect happens between an artist and a model during an art session, especially when its an erotic art session. Its always the thought and question, underneath the surface isn't it? What happens when you're drawing a naked person, and you fancy them? Part of me, like most artists, considers that its a professional working relationship, like doctors, when you just happen to work with naked people, and you're trying to do a job........ but, there is the other side, when you get to know the model a bit more, and they become a personality, a friend, and then maybe a lover. But, drawing is using a different part of the brain, and I need to concentrate, arrange the composition, lighting, decide which medium I'm going to use, get my easel up, set up some rock music to paint to, make sure the model is comfortable with the pose, and is warm enough, and doesn't have a spot light shining in their eyes, isn't going to get cramp in five minutes time, whist listening with half an ear to their problems, and trying to organise them into the pose without seeming heartless to their concerns, and I'm not wearing my best clothes, I'm in old jeans and a comfortable tee shirt, so that if I spill paint down me, it won't matter. But if I'm getting ready for sex, I'd dress differently, take more care, and wear something slightly provocative in a revealing or clingy way, something that makes me feel hot, would feel calmer and would be looking for signs and giving signs, in my conversation, or gestures, or demeanour. So perhaps the model is ready for sex, because they have an empty mind, and are sitting there stark naked, but the artist isn't ready for sex because their mind is full of ideas and organising things. Mmmmm..... that's a really interesting thought.

I think we have a special relationship with our models, and they understand that too. And I've definitely had some interesting times and some very non vanilla moments whilst drawing naked models! I think as figure artists we're open to people, and the models are open to the artist, so its a potent mix to start with. Plus I also think that models are a particular type of person too - who like being naked infront of fully clothed people, who are exhibitionists (unless they are just desperate for the money and can overcome their inhibitions for financial reasons), and want to be viewed and stared at and have their sexual fantasies at the same time, so perhaps the poor artist doesn't stand a chance! (smile).

I know at the end of a drawing session I'm mentally whacked, because I've been concentrating so hard, the model is happily chatting away, and I've gone quiet, whilst I'm packing my art materials and easel away, so perhaps that's when there's a shift in the relationship, instead of the artist being in control of the model and the situation, the model is fresh and lively, mentally alert, and can take over and start to control what happens next.........

What colour am I?

Before I say what I am....I can say with absolute certainty what colours I am not. I'm not bottle green, anything grey, brown or beige. I'm definitely not magnolia, cream, baby blue, pale pink (or any other shade of pink), lemon yellow or mint green. Infact I'm no pale colour whatsoever. I could never be anything so insipid! Nor am I any shade of green, not even vibrant, throbbing lively lime green. I could almost be the colour purple, regal and deep and never ignored, but I'm not quite..... No, I'm a warm colour, a rich colour, a strong and sensuous colour. I'm the colour of gold. Not the shiny brassy new gold, freshly formed and brazen, but of older gold, mellowed with time and constant caressing, full of desireability, confident of its appeal and value to others. That's the colour I am...... but scratch the surface and underneath there is the colour of voluptuous vermilion, the slash of red on the pouting luscious lips of a wanton woman, the red of desire and lust, passion and sex. And deeper even than that, is another colour - a dark blue, deeper than navy but not as lethal as pure black. Its an inky blue, of velvety depth.... its midnight blue.

That's my colour - the colour of a scarlet, wanton woman, her golden skin by seductive candlelight, at the hour of midnight......

Vanilla land hiding Spice world

I've had some very candid and interesting conversations recently with a variety of individuals that has led on to me thinking about the different lifestyles that people have. The majority of the populace seem to live ordinary lives, doing the usual vanilla things that make up their world, and consider that any pictures concerning people in any state of undress are basically disgusting, and they'd far rather have a pretty landscape hanging on their wall any day. A very few extrovert people like to live alternative lives, and are happy to advertise to the world their various kinks and fetishes and don't care who knows. Then there is the other group - the ones who appear on the surface to be vanilla but underneath, hidden away in the depths and recesses of their lives, they have kinks and fetishes and dark desires too, and like the spice that makes up the variety in their lives, but can't afford for the rest of the people in their world to find out. So they keep it secret. They're the interesting people... with fascinating diverse secrets, and they're the ones I've been talking to recently about erotic art, fantasies and fetishes. They tell me their desires, and I'd love to paint them......

I was told once, by a guy who did a lot of work in the houses of celebrities and rich people, that famous people with lots of money have whatever sexual or pornographic art they want on the wall because they're not concerned about what the neighbours or Mother-in-law will think. They do it because they can. And we probably all would, too, in their position. So, is the art we put on our walls, what interests us? Or what we think we should be showing to the visitors to our homes?