Boho Bride in Oxford Times… AND MY BRAND NEW PERSONAL WEBSITE!

ERWhittington

I’m in the Oxford Times today, as part of a limited edition ‘Boho Bride’ feature, modelling Clessidra Couture, photographed by Adrian Spencer (with make up by Shameem Kumar and flowers by ‘Budd’s Flowers by Design’). We got some really gorgeous images that day! Glad to see I’m championing whimsical, fairytale weddings in my hometown! 🙂

In other news, could I please ask you all to step over to my brand new website:

>>>>>>>CLICK HERE<<<<<<<

I’ll be blogging there regularly with tidbits, extracts and ponderings from my life and my writing research. Yep, this is the place to be if you happen to like my writing style and want to pay attention to my gatherings of eclectic musings and accompany me on my hopeful meanderings towards authorship…

This will remain my modelling blog, of course, but the new place (link above) is an additional, deeper collection of words and thoughts, so will, I hope, more than fill in the gaps between the image-filled posts I publish over here.

I am also newly found on >>>>>>>TWITTER<<<<<<<, where I am currently a bit lonesome (and still figuring out how exactly to use it!!), so why not follow me there too and show me some love? 🙂

As you can see, I’m distilling a particular part of myself (the writerly part) into a separate patch of the online world to give it more focus, and really enjoying being proactive. On the website, which will function mainly as a blog, you can expect words and thoughts on all manner of things, from God, love, online dating to homelessness, maths and chickens – all my behind the scenes nonsense which flits through my brain as I research the novel I’m writing (which is described, sort of, over on the website), as well as the odd excerpt from my current work in progress. It’s all going to gain momentum quite quickly, I think, and is going to be quite fun! All are welcome and your encouragement genuinely means a lot.

Thank you all very much – I really do appreciate the support!

Naiad & Idyll

ERWhittington

Evening!

Hello to everyone who’s stumbled across this blog recently after the recent double re-publication of my ’10 Things You Might Not Know about Nude Models’ piece, over on DIY Photography and on Model Mayhem. I’ve been quite amazed by the level of positive response it’s had from both photographers and models, and have had lots of messages since asking for interviews and translation rights all over the intersphere… I’ll be honest, I’m a bit behind on messages as I’ve just been overwhelmed, but will get to them all as soon as I can!

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Slightly relatedly, I am planning some gentle world domination for the second half of this year, and, prompted by a suggestion made in one of the comments below this recent facebook update…

… I have started dropping pins in a google map, based on where I need to go in order to position myself in front of the lenses of those various members of my photographer/artist bucket list. I think some hefty inter-continental travel is in order, judging by the scattered placement. It’s good to get a clear visual of a possible itinerary. I have started to become increasingly independent from the ‘usual suspect’ portfolio sites over the last few months, as much as I value them, and I like the idea of maintaining a massive, global picturesque vision of possibility against the backdrop of a world map.

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I have some news: I’m creating a brand new website/blog for my writing (poetry and fiction), which I generally do under a different name (stray modelling articles such as the recent ’10 Things’ one aside!). It’s nerve-wracking and very exciting, and I’ll be revealing it to you here very soon – just as soon as it’s ready for public consumption. I really hope you’ll all like it and your support would mean a lot to me.

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And, finally for this belated blogtastic update, I have some brand new images to show you from the watery waves of a Cornish shoot. These images were shot by the truly lovely, and rather excellent, Imagesse, who is always a pleasure to model for as I know his mind is always racing with narratives as much as mine; a fact proven, unexpectedly, by the arrival in my inbox of a little story as well as the accompanying images.


“…so there I was, meandering along a forest trail beside a lazy river, my path lit by shafts of autumn sunlight breaking through the canopy. Gradually, the moving water developed a sense of urgency and soon my stroll was accompanied by the sound of tumbling rapids. Rounding a bend into a deep gorge, I stopped to bask in the peace and wonder of this place. Several minutes past when I thought I heard a voice above the sound of the falls.  There it was again, a soft female voice, singing a clear song.  Now puzzled, I turned towards the source of the sound. As I raised myself above my rocky seat, I was presented with a vision, the like of which I had never seen.  There before me, on a mossy perch beside the white water, sat a beautiful woman.  Clothed in nothing but her own skin, she seemed unaware of my presence yet at one with the river.  Spellbound, I watched her hands play with the swirls and eddies of the dark, peaty liquid.  Unable to move, unable to breathe, I realised this vision was a naiad; a rare and benign female nymph who belonged to this fresh water idyll. For those dreamlike moments, time stood still, until my reverie was disturbed by the crack of a branch snapping nearby. That distraction made me turn my head for but a few seconds, but when I turned back, that beautiful creature was gone.  All that remained was the trees, the rocks and the river.  The endlessly moving, river……”  

Leaded Glass & English Roses

ERWhittington

Ah, it’s Sunday (day of rest, Radiohead & baklava… :-)). Time for a quick blog catch up, I think!!

I was lucky enough to have been chosen to model at the whimfully wonderful ‘Oxford Conference of Corsetry‘, a global gathering of corsetiers and designers from all over the world. I ended up modelling for 8 (I think) different designers in one day, and had so much fun playing different characters (the designs were all so different – some classic and sensual’ some playful and characterful). I’m proud to say I’ve been asked back for the next one, too, and the conference is growing year by year. I was also invited to the dinner the night before, held at Jesus College (the whole conference was held there: stunning! Harry Potter-esque, of course!), and listened to the after-dinner speaker, world renowned Autumn Adamme of Dark Garden Corsetry & Couture (a personal favourite of Dita Von Teese) who’d come from San Francisco to pour out her heart and soul, passing on tips and thoughts to inspire the attending designers.
All in all, it was an incredible experience to be involved with, especially considering I had had very limited experience with proper corsets before (don’t get me wrong, I’ve worn a fair few, but mostly of the costume-department one-size-fits-all variety, for film work; certainly not so comfortable as these, which were made, albeit remotely, especially to fit my measurements; I feel really very honoured and surprised to have been specially chosen by the organisers!). I also felt afterwards that I was something of a convert; although I usually prefer to dress in a bohemian, flowing, loose-fitting manner, I can really see the allure and power in wearing such structure; it’s also incredibly feminine and idyllic.
I’m posting here just one of the designs I wore (I’ll show more gradually; edits are still coming my way) – the first of the day, made by Morua Corsetry & Couture. I really felt like a bit of a princess flouncing around in this beautiful smokey grey, jewelled corset (made especially for me to model, called ‘Leaded Glass & English Roses’); all organza & net layers made with swarovski crystals and spray painted metal roses, and teamed with a sheer wrap for a skirt. Beautiful!!!! Definitely one of my favourites of the day.
You can read all about the process and shoot from the designer’s point of view over here: it’s a brilliant write up! 
This corset was photographed by both of the official photographers, Scott Chalmers and Chris Murray, both of whom are extremely talented, and gave it a completely different air. 
These are by Scott Chalmers (beautifully smokey and misty):

(Behind the scenes… :-))
And these are by Chris Murray (more clarity and freshness):

Days like these remind me how much I love my modelling job! 🙂

Mauve Woods & Mayhem

ERWhittington

Oh dear, I can’t pretend I’m not a bit behind on this blog! Time has been flying for me lately and I’ve been happily busy, but I’m keen to show some more images here (with plenty more coming up as always!), and this edition features some by Mark Russell, who was a pleasure to work with. We wandered around the natural environment near where I live (for clarification, though, I do live in an actual house) and I really enjoyed making these! They’re a bit fresh and summery-looking… I’m dreaming of warmer weather and getting excited every time I find myself not feeling too blustery and cold at the moment. Not that I mind wrapping up warm – I do like winter for all it has to offer… But I’m so glad the days are getting longer!

In other news…. It’s been nice to get some lovely messages about the fact that Model Mayhem published my article, ’10 Things You Might Not Know About Nude Models’, on their main page (you can view it here), even if there were some slight edits made to the original (which was first posted here on my blog). I’m happy for it to be shared around by those finding it useful/entertaining, and thank you to those who are asking permission before linking to it – I just ask for my name and website link (www.ellarosemuse.co.uk) to be mentioned clearly in each case. Thank you. 🙂

May in the Wrecks & Cotswolds?

ERWhittington
Hello! I’m now taking bookings for April – December, both in the UK and abroad, so you are welcome to get in touch if you like the idea of hiring me to pose for your project or creative ideas during those three quarters of 2015. (And you are also welcome to send me a message if you’d like to me to contact you personally if any more free time comes up before then).
… And here are a couple of advert-images for two location workshops coming up on the 8th and 9th of May, where I will be joined by my friend and partner in art, Ivory Flame. We have been described a few times in the past as the ‘dream team’, but personally, I would never be so presumptuous. 🙂 
Info (including how to book) on the images, which you can click to enlarge.

Venezia

ERWhittington

My last trip abroad of 2014 took me to somewhere I’d never been to before – Venice! J H and I had been discussing it for what felt like forever, so it was so nice to have the opportunity to model there. I posted a few snaps over on my instagram account. 🙂 This was our view just before touching down, before swishing across the water on a vaporetto, Bond-style, to arrive at the incredible, quite gothic apartment we were staying in, and I was also really pleased with this shot, which apparently presented my ‘photographer’s eye’ as much as my ‘muse-dom’… Haha.

J has written about this trip: ‘I set myself the challenge of trying to shoot a little “Russo-Venetian glamour” drawing inspiration from the medium format-style fashion and glamour photography favoured by a number of very talented Russian and Ukrainian artists with lots of lovely, rich, saturated colours and contrasty black & whites all framed with a square crop.’

Thank you J!

(This was my bed during the stay!)
(Sigh… And I had a bit of a crowd papping away at me while we shot this; we tried very hard not to be annoying, only shooting a few times for a minute or so each, so as not to be in the way of tourists who understandably wanted this shot to themselves… But I think a few people thought I must be ‘someone’, and then proceeded to follow me around slightly asking for photos of me with their own cameras, which was funny. Seriously, though, look at that magical peachy light!)
(with Sinopa Rin & Jessica Taylor)
It was a fleeting visit – a wonderful taste of Venezia! (By the way, I’m currently obsessed with the netflix series ‘Marco Polo’. It’s THE latest Game of Thrones, in my opinion.)

 

What a Wonderful Year! Presenting: 2014

ERWhittington

It’s New Years Eve tomorrow and I have a feeling I might not be able to get on the computer much in between seeing friends and celebrating (not that NYE is that big a deal to me; I’m one of those people who comes up with resolutions almost every week, so what’s a few more to add to the list?!), so I thought I’d get this blog post in early!

I was originally going to publish my travel schedule for the next 12 months and talk about a few things I’m doing next year, but first, I want to look back!

So… Without further delay, here’s a post I’ve come to very much enjoy compiling at the end of each year: my run down of highlights from this blog over the last twelve months. (2013 highlights here & 2012 highlights here.)

Get your remaining Christmas chocolates to hand (I highly favour ferrero rochers, personally), and any leftover mulled wine, and get comfy…

Presenting 2014:
From ‘The Far Flinging Ocean‘ – image by Zoe Wiseman, taken in Australia
From ‘Iceland‘ – image by Alex Ingram, taken at the incredible Geysir there:
From ‘Smoke and Mesh‘ – image by Bjorn Hansen, taken in Sydney:
From ‘Baby it’s cold outside‘ – image by Chris Lloyd, taken at Eye For An Image Studio, Oxfordshire:
From ‘Gilded Mirrors and Stuffed Moose: Chanticleer Brides 25th Anniversary Collection‘ – image by Chris Hanley, taken in Somerset:
 
From ‘Mellifluous Monochrome‘ – image by Malvin Jan Dyb, taken in Norway:
From ‘Rainforest Revisited‘ – image by Dave Aharonian, taken in Canada:
From ‘Curved Skies Down Under‘ – image by Jim Furness, taken in Australia (with Ivory Flame & Anoush Anou):
From ‘The Moon‘ – image by ManCave, taken in West Berkshire:
From ‘Birthdays – Soft Dances in a Room of Grey‘ – image by Mark Bigelow, taken at Studio Blanco:
From ‘An Italian Garden‘ – image by Herb Nestler, taken in Tuscany (with Valentina Feula):
From ‘Pearls, Fleurs & Luminance‘ – image by Bjorn Hansen, taken in Sydney:
From ‘White, Yellow, Red & Blue‘ – image by Kev Bretts, taken in my (now famous) Oxfordshire bluebell patch:
From ‘Closure; unfinished business‘ – image by Nigel Barklie, taken at Studio Blanco:
From ‘; also, weather‘ – image by Brian Connor, taken in Australia:
From ‘Traveller‘ – image by Phil Chaplin, taken in Australia:
From ‘Glimpses‘ – image by Alan Horten, taken at Paul’s Studio, Reading:
From ‘Sculpture‘ – bronze sculpture by Andrew Freidin:
From ‘Black Feet & Metal‘ – image by Barend Jan de Jong, taken in Rotterdam, Netherlands:
From ‘Tryst‘ – image by Malvin Jan Dyb, taken in Norway:
From ‘Sunswept Sisters‘ – image by Mel Brackstone, taken in Australia (with Anoush Anou):
From ‘Into the Deep‘ – image by Clayton Bastiani, taken on the Isle of Wight:
From ‘Electric Blue, rain, shapes; Workshop and London Exhibition‘ – image by Eric Kellerman, taken in Holland:
From ‘Catchlight in Belfast‘ – image by Ross McKelvey, taken in Belfast:
From ‘A Rainbow‘ – image by J H, taken in Oxford:
From ‘Pink Venus‘ – image by Samuel Somers, taken in Belgium:
From ‘Marian‘ – image by Jeff Wilson, taken in Oxfordshire:
From ‘Norway Part 1 – Arctic Winds, Rainbows & Midnight Sun‘ – image by Hakon Gronning, taken in Norway:
From ‘I must be a mermaid‘ – image by Hakon Gronning, taken in NOrway:
From ‘Fruit, Fog & Romantic Pleasure‘ – image by ManCave (with Joel Hicks), taken in West Berkshire:
From ‘Les Coquelicots dans La Pluie‘ – image by Don McCrae, taken in France:
From ‘Den Haag‘ – image by Hans Miller, taken in the Netherlands:
From ‘Paride‘ – image by Paride Ostierna, taken in Luton:
From ‘Romantische‘ – image by Jeff Wilson, taken in Oxfordshire:
From ‘Life from Ash‘ – image by Martin Krans, taken in Holland:
From ‘Wheat, White & Apples‘ – image by Karen Jones, taken in Oxfordshire:
From ‘She wore Blue…‘ – image by Luc Bollen, taken in Belgium:
From ‘Pedal Boats & Bikinis‘ – image by Gary Sandy, taken in Southampton:
From ‘Leonides the Lion Head‘ – image by David Ferris, taken in Australia:
From ‘Europe‘ – image by Thomas Bichler, taken in Germany:
From ‘Tags‘ – image by Stephen Bassett, taken in Belfast:
(Also, my dog… Sorry):
From ‘The Wool Company‘ – image by Sarah @ The Wool Company, taken in Cornwall:
From ‘Arbroath – Tayport‘ – image by Jim Furness, taken in Scotland:
From ‘Sunday Medley‘ – image by Ken Pegg, taken in Dorset:
From ‘Scandinavia‘ – image by Mads Erik Husdal, taken in Norway:
From ‘A Certain Darkness is Needed to See The Stars‘ – image by Luc Bollen, taken in Brussels:
From ‘A Blush of Wildlife‘ – image by Hugh Alison, taken in Wales:
From ‘How to….‘ – image by Karen Jones, taken in France:
From ‘Foreign Sands‘ – image by Martin Krans, taken in Holland:
From ‘Oblique Strategies‘ – image by Matt McCosh, taken in the Midlands:
From ‘Portents with Paride‘ – image by Paride Ostierna, taken in Oxford:
From ‘Sunshine & Water‘ – image by Tom McArthur, taken in Portugal:
From ‘Sunshine & Water‘ – image by Carl Grim, taken in Portugal:
From ‘Fires Beneath her Feet‘ – image by Adrian Spencer, taken in Oxfordshire (wearing Clessidra designs):
From ‘Primary Love‘ – image by CocTales Photography, taken in London:
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And, finally, as a little preview of what comes next (as I did sort of promise it in the last post), here’s one by J H from our recent jaunt to Venice!
More on that soon…!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE.