Hello everyone, hope you are all well, I think i am okay just about, I think this group has everything we need in it,plenty of discussion on the subject of life modelling and plenty of members, which is amazing !
I have no work next week, so if you are looking for a large mature life model who is willing to do all sorts of modelling work, sculpture, photo shoots in good taste, castings,portrait, which i have done lots of recently in Kent and London, life etc, please ask me to model for you, i am a well experienced model with 20 years experience, thank you for reading this Sharon Smithers shazsmithers@yahoo.com
Hello everyone hope you are all keeping well and busy ? As i said before i have no modelling work this week, being half term, never mind, life is like that ! Anyway on Sunday out with with hubby, and met a motorbiker in Greggs in Canterbury Sturry Road, he obviously knew me, he said hello, and could not take his eyes of me, and may i say he was very respectful towards me. I guess he must have drawn me sometime ago. Sorry for telling you this it has been bugging me !
In my experience, models are more liable to help each other out rather than compete, by passing on things like contact details for tutors and artists.
As regards the second part of Sharon's comment, there is the physical and spiritual beauty of being naked and sharing one's nudity with artists, etc., who appreciate it. I have gone into this in much more detail in my essay "Naked Before God" in my homepage found within the NW newsletter .
I do believe you are right Kenneth on both issues, I do help other wannabe models out quite often,and i find life modelling is very spiritual and physical, in the beauty of being naked in front of others. Thank you Ken did you do Spencer Tunick at the weekend ?
Unfortunately, I had to give the Spencer Tunick event in Essex a miss, much though I would have loved to have gone. It was such a lovely day weatherwise, too. I didn't go because a bodycaster in Lancaster contacted me a couple of days beforehand to say the model he had booked for the Saturday had cried off, and he was desperate for a substitute naked body. I've modelled for bodycasting before, have no problems with it, so I couldn't say no!
So sorry to hear that, it was really a warm day for the Spencer Tunick installment, I am glad you took over the bodycasting, I have also done body casting in the past.
Your experience as a life model, I started in 1999, being a professional life model 20 years, loved every bit of it, what about you ?
Another thing is i have always wanted to be a muse for an artist, that is my ambition now !
Like you, I enjoy every bit of being a professional life model, not just everyday modelling for life sessions for art groups, colleges, etc., but non-routine gigs for religious and biblical themes, where there is lots of scope for nudity; also anatomical modelling for medical schools where live naked bodies are much sought after by tutors for their rarity.
My first essay in my northern correspondent homepage describes in full detail how I began as a life model all those years ago. I think it makes interesting reading.
Wanting to be an artist's muse is a lovely ambition, and you, Sharon, have the qualities to achieve this aim. I am a muse for a couple of individual artists but especially for Bill Garland, who is a professional artist and tutor in Merseyside and whom I've mentioned in some of my seasonal newsletters.
Dear Ken and all,
It was always a life ambition to be a life model and a professional one at that, I started working with friends in Whitstable, at the Battery, with Marilyn, who ran the place, and Lesley West was modelling too, they said i could try it out and i did, I was a natural ! I forgot to mention our friend Dylan Woolf a professional photographer said i should be a life model, so that is where it all began in 1999, and have never looked back,
thank you Ken for saying kind words about me wanting to be a muse, it is quite an ambition, but who knows, 20 years of loving being a professional life model, how lucky am i ?
Thanks for reading this.
Good Day,
It has been a while since last discussion on here, I was wondering if any of you have had bookings came in, mine are slowly coming in, a few in September, and a lot in November so far.I was approached by Russell who lives in Whitstable wanting to be a life model, he just needed the encouragemnt and enquires where to start so i gave him some advice and phone numbers of local groups to help him out, if you want to be a life model just dive in and you will enjoy every moment of it.
Sharon Smithers
Glad that you're getting signed up for more work this Autumn term.
The life drawing groups around Manchester and Chester for whom I modelled last term have asked me back, and I am also delighted to be returning to the medical training centre at Dunham Massey to be used as a nude physical demonstration model for the students. I've been there before and I know what to expect.This will involve medical photography and posing for life drawing sessions as well as anatomical studies. I'm also fortunate in being the chosen "muse" for two accomplished artists: Bill Garland, who requires his models to be gymnastic and "dynamic", and Albert Lee, who specialises in pastiches of biblical and religious themes. Hard and demanding work, but I'm always up for it! I'm on course to do a considerable amount of work for them in the coming months, and I intend to say more about all this in my Autumn newsletter. Being a life model is full of wonderful experiences, and like you, I enjoy every single moment!
Hello Ken,
How exciting for you i do have another session with Darshan Alliragh in London, I worked with him in April, and now i have a session at the end of September, which i am looking forward too,more modeling work seems to be coming my way, slowly but surely. You just never know what is coming with life modelling work. All very exciting.Good Luck to you Ken and all the other models on this site.
Hello All,
Hope you all well and happy, I am thank you, I have more work coming in which is amazing, lots of portrait modelling, hurray ! Has anyone got any bad things to say about life modelling ?
Hello All,
The other day i did a portrait sitting in Ashford with another female model, and all she did was move, whilst i stayed in my pose all day, Life models are suppose to be still are they not ?
Dear Al my Pal,
I have tried to ring you but you are not there, What is the problem you want me to ring you cant you send me an email on shazsmithers@yahoo.com Thank you, I do not like like to disturb your wife. Thanks Sharon.
Hello Everyone how time flies, now we are in Autumn, i have had quite a lot modelling considering it was slow, my comment for today is if you want to be a life model, learn to keep still, I have been a professional life model for 20 years now, and i have always kept still.
I cannot believe how this year has flown, time flies when your having fun !
Well my year has been successful,in around Kent and at the Art Academy London, I have made a great impression on them, being still for a portrait class with Charlie Schaffer, How cool is that ?
has anyone got on any comments to make regarding life modelling please ?
I would like to congratulate Alan Reynolds for setting up this wonderful website dedicated to us life models, it is wonderful he has 600 members of life models. Also i would like to say how i enjoy reading ken's newsletters
This group is so good for us models, thank you Alan, thinking of you and your wife i know she is very poorly.
Keep up with the good work Alan, and thank you from my heart.
I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year 2020, I have already lots of bookings for the New Year ! Hoping you had a good year this year, Best Wishes Sharon XX
What do you want to know Mark i have been a professional life model for 20 years and i love it, it is about basically standing, sitting and laying down still for however minutes, and being very patient.
Moving on sad news poor Alan Reynolds has lost his wife she has recently passed on.
Sending all our sympathys to Alan and family.
Please Ken can you send on your winter letter many thanks.
Lets think of Alan Reynolds please.
Now back from a stay in Benidorm, where I did a series of nude modelling sessions for enthusiastic expat artists. I hope to discuss more on this when I prepare my next newsletter, which I hope to send to Alan by the end of this month (lots of bookings a the moment.)
And Mark - anything I can do to help with the preparation of your book? Feel free to include any of my essays.
Dear Ken,
glad you had a good trip away with modeling involved, good for you.
Yes I have a lot of bookings too up until April, May.
Mark if you need some feedback on your book we are happy to oblige.
Well Folks now with caronavirus i have modelling work cancelled, have you too ?
It is a shame and there is nothing we can do about it, how do you all feel about this ?
I am shocked !
Same here too - about two thirds of my life modelling gigs for art groups have been cancelled because of virus cross-infection fears. To be expected I suppose, because of the age profile of many people in these groups. Disappointing, but here is not much one can do about it if people are fearful about their health. Lets hope that the situation is resolved reasonably soon.
Harsh travel restrictions have put paid to my planned trip to Spain this Easter to participate in the crucifixion re-enactment I've mentioned in my newsletters, but fortunately, the Sodality of St Dismas are going ahead with theirs in a location in this country and I have been signed up for it.
Well i totally agree with you Ken, we can only hope this virus does not go on for so long, it is very upsetting times for everyone, just keep safe and well, and continue been patient.We all wish our members good health and best wishes from us, Alan Reynolds, Ken and Sharon xx
And to make life more difficult, we now have to comply with "social distancing", so it is not surprising that life modelling gigs have all but dried up. However, it's an ill wind, and my contacts have revealed that many members of the naturist community (including models) are self-isolating naked as one way of overcoming the boredom. I fact, some models I know are posing online via such media as "Zoom" in order to keep the flag flying.I am one of them, and I am in nude self isolation under the protection of Brian Passmore, my spiritual mentor, who is taking the opportunity of preparing me for the forthcoming Easter Passion re-enactment.
That is really inspiring Ken thank you for sharing that with us, keep up the good work,What more can I say ! Well done. Everyone Keep Well and Safe please.
Has anyone got anything to mention in these strange times with the corona virus, hope everyone is keeping well and safe, I am in self isolation as i suffer with chronic asthma.
These are certainly strange times, and I am glad, Sharon, that you are taking wise precautions to stay safe.
As I mentioned before, I am continuing to be naked during my self isolation. I quite like it really! Brian has set up one of his cellars here in Llandeilo as a kind of modelling studio, and this enables me to spend about three or four hours a day modelling for my favourite North West artists, Bill Garland and Albert Lee, courtesy of Zoom. I am a "muse" for both of them, and they are glad of the opportunity to sketch me. They say that the two dimensional view they get of my body is not as good as the real thing as it does not do justice to my roundness, but at least it is better than nothing.
I am also naked because Brian is preparing me, physically and psychologically, for my crucifixion on Good Friday, which gets ever closer! Not theatre but the real thing, and I await the day with spirituality and apprehension.
Dear Ken and other members of Art Nude UK,
I am so glad you are able to life model, I really miss it, I am scared i will not be asked to model again, these days are so weird and strange, I feel useless but i know i am not, Good Luck to you Ken on Good Friday.
Sending Best Wishes to Alan Reynolds hope he is okay and keeping well and safe, like the rest of us.
Keep up the good work Ken Well done.
Happy Easter Everyone.Thank you.Sharon Smithers
I would say that your fears are groundless, as your qualities as a model will ensure that you will continue to get work once normal life resumes - it can't come quick enough. Like you, I am really missing regular modelling, naked and live in a proper setting.
Dear Ken,
Thank you for reassuring me about going back to life modelling, I feel a bit more confident now, I wish you well and I hope your Good Friday goes well when you do the crucifixtion, Good Luck.
Happy Easter to you and other members of this wonderful group.
I would like to hear how Mark is getting on with his book, and if he needs any feedback.
Thanks Ken and everyone, Please Keep Well and Safe.
Thank you both for this discussion. I keep passing dates in my diary of cancelled bookings and wonder what it will be like when life gets back to normal. Unlike Kenneth I don't have a home studio. I have never been one to practise poses at home. I have just built up experience over the years in front of groups. With the lockdown I am also getting far less exercise than usual. Consequently, it concerns me what it will be like to hold a pose if the current situation continues for months. I suspect that starting back is going to be difficult for artists and models.
Hello Simon thank you for your input I feel the same sort off, how is it all going to be when life drawing classes set up again after al! This time away ? It is all very worrying I am sure you will be fine holding poses once we get back to modelling again, it something we must wait and see !
All the more reason to stay positive keep wel! And safe.
Please Ken will you send your Spring Newsletter to Alan.
We will all have to see when we get back to normal again.
Hi Sharon. We life models must make sure we encourage and support each other at this difficult time in our lives. And I am doing my best to keep fit for when proper classes return, by regular daily exercises, naked of course.
Thanks for mentioning my contribution to the Spring Newsletter. I will get this done as soon as I can. I came through my crucifixion on Good Friday although very much a near death experience, but not as grim as what happened in the Philippines last year. I will say more about this in my Newsletter.
Hi Ken
Thank you for your feed back we all must support each other in this crisis, I know it is difficult for us all, thanks Ken for your support, these are trying times, but we must stay focused and look to the future, stay positive and indeed keep Well and safe, if any one needs a chat on here about life generally please send a message on here or even email me on shazsmithers@yahoo.com thank you it is a mental strain but just carry on and be safe well and positive thank you xxx