Careering to a new(d) career

1. 
   

   September 4, 2013

    

    Gil Salk - Modeling          Blog #3

    

   My modeling career moves (careers?) on to new vistas. This evening I get to pose for an introductory Life Drawing course at Manchester Community College (on campus, in actual classroom studio, as opposed to Main Street's gallery...this one's for students getting real academic credits).
   
   (Warning: I stumbled into a rant as I wrote the next paragraph. My thoughts on modeling follow soon after.)
   
   If you're not familiar with the MCC campus, it should be on everyone's “Things to See in Eastern Connecticut” list. The buildings form a large architectural sculpture which is a pleasure to explore - both visually and mobilely (SpellHeck hates that word. I'm not going to tell it that I just made it it up on the spur of the moment....It doesn't like being called SpellHeck, either, but until it can: (1) tell the difference between so, sow, and sew, or (2) inform people that "myself" is NOT a substitute for "me" or "I", or (3) relay the appropriate use of the possessive apostrophe, or... oh, never mind - the list is too long - Until SpellHeck really learns to spot errors, I don't care if it likes what I call it or not.
   
   I visited the Art Department a couple of weeks ago and got the name of the professor in charge of hiring models for drawing classes.
   
   I emailed him, he called me, we played telephone tag, and we talked. The highlights of our communications: I missed the scheduling for this semester, but he'll likely use me next term. In the meantime, he'll get in touch if someone calls in sick. Someone called in sick. He got in touch. I'm on for a 3-hour stint.
   
   I'm torn here. Should I use a theatrical image, or go with sports? I feel like the understudy who got to play the lead when the quarterback broke his leg. Glad to be there; sorry about the circumstances.
   
   Anyway, the game’s afoot, Watson.
   
   This should be different from what I’ve done at MCC on Main. This will be one of the first meetings of the class, and the Rick (the teacher) tells me that he’ll be emphasizing bone structure. For the first part of the class, he’ll be using a large drawing pad while standing next to me, and directing me into poses that will show off body structure. Then he’ll have me do quick poses – with lots of angles, I expect – while the class does fast sketches.
   
   At MCC on Main, the artists were generally older – 40 and above – and nearly all women. If the MCC class is typical, I expect that there will be a more even mix of genders, and about 3/4 will be in their mid-20s or younger. Since it’s a for-credit course with an actual instructor instead of a casual drop-in open studio, I also expect that there will be a more serious attention to how drawings are created. On the other hand, since the group will be younger (and larger), the atmosphere might actually be a little more light-hearted. I have no idea how much exposure they’ve had to live models, so that could also be a factor in the overall experience. We shall see…
   
   Stay tuned for further reports.