A prominent Toronto illustrator and painter once remarked to me that one was not a real artist until he or she had mastered the complex job of rendering the human figure. Part of the difficulty in performing this feat lies in the fact that, because of constant exposure to and interest in this subject, we are adept at spotting the imperfections in any representation.
At present I am working in watercolour to experiment with the human form, trying to attain some degree of accuracy while maintaining a looser style that I hope will be expressive of whatever emotions I am portraying.
A major problem lies in finding appropriate models on whom to work. I would like to photograph more varied subjects than those available through art classes and so have been seeking victims through male websites- most people whom I contact are reluctant to pose for any number of reasons but those few who have volunteered have proven to be excellent subjects (though I would guess that they would have difficulty seeing themselves in the finished paintings).
Photographs do not necessarily involve total nudity. One question often arises: what do I charge? The answer is nothing. I have a studio in the Distillery that I share with a fellow photographer. We sometimes collaborate with a willing model. Nothing is used on the internet without the model's written consent. I prefer to do the shooting there. I often am able to provide a DVD of the best photos as a thank-you.
