You'd think that sitting down not having anything to do would be an easy job and a favour you'd happily do for anybody but that's not quite true. After only half an hour sitting on the narrow window sill not being able to move, it felt like the hardest thing ever for different reasons.Firstly, my eyes have never felt so heavy and I had to work really hard to stop them shutting. Not even trying to do some dancing in my head helped much :-(.
Secondly, I experienced something quite new to me: Boredom. I never get bored usually. I like chilling out somewhere, thinking about stuff or watching a movie. Even my 22 hour flight to Melbourne didn't feel long enough as I couldn’t finish one of the films I was watching! It must be the unrelaxed sitting I guess.
Thirdly, sitting still is hard! I really thought sitting still for a bit shouldn't be too bad but it feels very different if you aren’t allowed to move at all. I started feeling itchy a lot. Sitting relaxed on a cosy couch or on a plane is a different story!
I got the feeling I might not have been the easiest model. I needed a lot of toilet breaks, tea and chocolate breaks, as well as normal breaks, in which I would stop fighting my eye lids and have some power naps. I felt more exhausted after Guy had left my place than I did after a day at work.
Thirdly, sitting still is hard! I really thought sitting still for a bit shouldn't be too bad but it feels very different if you aren’t allowed to move at all. I started feeling itchy a lot. Sitting relaxed on a cosy couch or on a plane is a different story!
I got the feeling I might not have been the easiest model. I needed a lot of toilet breaks, tea and chocolate breaks, as well as normal breaks, in which I would stop fighting my eye lids and have some power naps. I felt more exhausted after Guy had left my place than I did after a day at work.
On the upside Guy always made sure I wouldn’t be hungry during those sessions and never came round without food and always prepared a yummy lunch :-).
The other cool thing was to see the painting developing …
There was a little mirror on the wall I could see out of the corner of my eye and I was able to watch Guy secretly, which was a good way to distract myself from wanting to move so badly.
There was a little mirror on the wall I could see out of the corner of my eye and I was able to watch Guy secretly, which was a good way to distract myself from wanting to move so badly.
Painter and model went through different seasons doing those sessions. That meant we had to adjust the times of the sessions to catch the daylight. In the winter we needed a hot water bottle behind my back, so I wouldn't get too cold leaning against the glass, whereas in the summer we had to be done before the sun was shining on the window and heated it up too much. Also, Guy wasn’t that impressed with the owners from one of the houses in the background when they put up some scaffolding!
I haven't counted how many hours and days our project took in total but it felt like a long time. It was definitely worth it though and I'll be forevermore, the girl in the polka dot dress, in a bona fide Maberly painting.
If you want to see more of Guy's art, have a look at his website:
facebook.com/GuyMaberlyArt
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