The Cultivation Collective is a group of artists that have come together for their love of art. Each month at Public Works in the Mission they put together a figure drawing event in order to raise money for their collective. The theme last Thursday night was Undressed in the Jungle. After some research I found an add that Jason Cohen had posted expressing his need for some models, he told me one would be painted like a predator and he told me I could be that one if I dared. He also told me that two other models were going to be there but they would be in costume, little did I know it was a underwear and bra and twigs, leaves, and bushes from Golden Gate Park. It didn’t feel odd or strange to me at all. No sirens went off and it all seemed cool.
It was awesome and I am so glad I did it. I got there prepared with all kinds of underwear and bras to choose from. The girl that painted me was Iris Alden. She was about my age with long brown hair and she went to town painting me like a leopard, pinning me a tail and giving me ears, and painting my hands and feet. She works for the art commission and also works at Public Works occasionally. The other models were supposed to be Adam and Eve. Then walks in Heather, our Eve for the evening. She had long, blonde, wavy hair and had a big comfortable smile on her face. She got dressed in black underwear and a brown sports top and tons of vines, leaves, and parky things they found in Golden Gate Park that day. Then comes in Alex, the Adam. We all met and it felt fine. First up was Eve, then Adam, then Adam and Eve. Break. Then me, the leopard.
There was a short runway with a little stage at the end where we posed. There were video projections on the two walls next to me and the one behind me for a more visual effect. There was a DJ so music was playing. Good, not too fast, grooving music and I appreciated that since I had to hold poses for 10, 20, even 30 minutes at a time.
So I went out there in front of an audience of artists who had big white sheets of paper and pencils, charcoal, markers, and brushes. I felt totally comfortable. It’s been so long since I have performed and I love it, this was performing. I sat on the floor for 5 minutes while they drew. There was a live MC giving me and the artist’s instructions. Then I got up and did another pose for 10 minutes. It was fun making up poses that fit the character. The stage had live vines, branches, and flowers around it go with the Jungle theme. We continued taking breaks and coming back. After the break it was Adam and I. He posed on his knees and I was laying down with my arms on his legs, like I was attached him. The next pose was all three of us. I was on my knees as Eves pet and Adam was lying down on his back as if Eve had made him fall and her foot was on his stomach. We held that for 20 minutes. Break then just Eve and I posed together. We had help coming up with the pose with all three of us but the others we came up with on our own and I must congratulate us. We did a fabulous job, we took it like a job and did our jobs professionally and we also were creative with it and had fun meeting the artists after. The drawings were amazing and 1 person even gave me a sketch to take home. I hope to be apart of their figure drawing events in the future because I appreciated how important they made the models feel and how classy and professional the event was.
All in all a very good experience.
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