Model Appreciation!

First sketch from one of the photos of Kim - such an elegant lady

       Last friday two models came to do my bidding! I'm not sure what I've done to deserve this but I am not going to question too closely. Michael Ward brought along Kim Butler with whom he has had a good working relationship for some time now. I was able to try several things I have had in mind for a long time and the day flew by. I now have more than 150 images to sort & work with (including photos from the first time Michael posed for me) and several ideas budding. Best of all would be to have their physical presence on a daily basis for me to work from but that isn't possible so this is the next best thing. They have offered to return, however, if I feel the need to work from life on something specific. All I had to do in return was offer good food and an invigorating afternoon hike up our mountain trail! 

Posing on my studio loft stairway

       Kim and Michael are going to be part of a 12 Hour Draw-a-Thon event to be held in Victoria in May, with some other models also. This was held once before I understand and was a big hit. I am going to try to get down there for it as it will be a very special opportunity to work with multiple models from life.

 Bob on the trail...one dog in background...others are exploring!

Kim and me on the trail...did I shrink or is Kim just really tall??

        The day was a bit chilly but very nice, a bit of sun now and then, and only a brief spate of tiny hail (!). Bob and the dogs came along and we hiked for over an hour, came back and had a wonderful supper. Bob had made an amazing vegetarian chili and I had made a Bumbleberry Crumble for dessert. Earlier, at lunch time we had Bob's famous carrot burgers with all the fixin's and a spectacular cole slaw that he worked up. It was a very uplifting and invigorating day and I hope the work I complete as a result lives up to the great promise I felt happening. I'm starting with the one at the top of this post since I want to enter it in the Sooke Show and I've only got about three weeks to do the painting. The 14 Two-Models-in-a-Box shots came out so well that I feel almost it would be an injustice not to do paintings of almost every pose. That probably won't happen but I can dream.