Greetings, all,
Upland will host a figure session with a nude model next Monday, November 17, from 10 am to 1 pm at the Pillar Arts Alliance Center in the College Mall. Our last nude session was in January 2023, so it’s been almost three years. Full details follow:
Rationale. At least since Leonardo’s anatomy studies, artists have drawn the nude figure, both male and female — first as an important part of their training, but also as a subject worthy in its own right. There’s an old truism that if you can draw the nude, you can draw anything. The human body is complex, and often our emotional responses get in the way of seeing it as just another set of forms, another pattern of light, middle and dark values. Wherever you are at in your artist trajectory, the challenge is worth your best efforts.
Model. Mariah models regularly for the Bloomington Co-op. She is a 34-year-old Bloomington native, published poet, multimedia artist, professional special needs nanny, wildlife rehabber, bartender, and a mother to three young children. She is passionate about providing children with the empathetic support, confidence, and curiosity they need to thrive, and she joyfully shares her love of art, music, and nature with her children and the children in her care. In her free time, she loves to play her ukulele, work with plants, attend concerts, write essays and poetry, paint, cook, and spend time in nature. She dreams of owning and operating a small farm with her partner, Cody, so they may work toward self-sufficiency and provide their community with locally grown food.
Date/Location. We are meeting on Monday, November 17, instead of the usual Tuesday, because Pillar is closed on Monday. That will give our model and us privacy. Please enter through the outside door between the south mall entrance with the big Target logo and the old Macy's. We will have an Upland yard sign marking the entrance. Please see attached map. If you arrive late, the door will be unlocked. Come on in.
No photographs! Please leave your cameras at home and your cellphone cameras in your bags.
Program. We will start with several short gesture poses, then a 10/15-minute pose. The remainder of the time, about two and a half hours, will be one pose, alternating 25-minute poses with five-minute breaks.
Drop cloth. If you work in oil, watercolor, pastel or other “messy” medium, please bring and use a drop cloth to protect the floor or table.
Facilities. The room has professional lighting and the model will be on a raised platform. There are tables and chairs, but you will need to supply all other materials. If you want to use a table easel or standing easel, there should be room. There is a rest room inside Pillar.
Parking. There is ample free parking in the College Mall lot.
Lunch. There are no plans for an organized lunch after the session, but some of you may want to organize a group lunch in the food court or at a nearby restaurant on your own.
Fee. There is no charge for this session. Upland is paying the model’s fee. Huge thanks to Henry Leck for generously covering Pillar's rental fee.
Whether you are a veteran or a novice at drawing/painting the figure, we encourage you to come and try your hand at this major artistic motif.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact me at ccookman@iu.edu Please do not click the reply button and send your query to the entire group.
Warmest regards,
claude