Ah, isn’t naming post titles one of the most fun parts of writing a blog? A bit like having children is mainly so that you can call your offspring fun names? Yes? (Ezra – current middle-name fave for male child numero one, thereby necessitating the creation of a second child in order to put into use the middle name ‘Inigo’, since I don’t think I want children with more than one middle name each). Hhm.

Hellooo! It’s been soo beautiful today!! And I am extra happy for having had my hair lightened again today, although I thought it was a bit of a shame to be sitting inside under a hairdresser gown for the best part of the afternoon… My hairdresser is incredibly patient, putting foil after foil through my mane. Even though I WISH I was a sultry brunette, and of course my natural hair colour is brunette (but not really the sultry kind, I suppose), I just love being blonde. I might be going to south america (possibly Colombia and Ecuador) for a bit as part of my travels later this year, in which case being blonde will be a mistake, but hey, the worst that happened to me in Mexico City was a butt-grab in the metro (the male-female station divide was ‘out of order’ that day – I imagine it makes a good difference. The friend I’d made that morning swore at him for me in Spanish), and a bit of occasional attention doesn’t scare me so long as I’m careful and don’t actively seek it out.

…So anyway, this is all getting to a big hint that I will be donning my backpack again from October for some west-ward gallavants, and that I am welcoming bookings here in England for August (I’m currently free for just a few days at the beginning and the end) and September (Scotland trip pending, depending on confirmed interest from a few photographers and some specific date-setting); so UK photographers, please do get in touch and fill up my diary for the rest of the year!

***

When I went down to Sussex recently (a trip which started with the beach pebble shoot in Brighton with J H) I also got to work for a second time with Rayment Kirby (previous shoot here), and he and his wife very kindly put me up for the night in their house. I’ve been lucky enough to have been chosen as one of the models to be in another one of his books, which is going to have the theme ‘mystery and contrasts’. Looking forward to seeing it completed! He wanted to achieve a good range of images with me, hence the very mixed bag below!

As with the last time, there are both ‘straight’ shots and a few which get ‘transformed’ and arrive in my inbox bit by bit, which is always fun (most of these were done in camera though, using clever equipment for effects)!

Weeeelll, I’m feeling very lucky at the moment after getting back yesterday after another exciting trip to Paris (more on that soon!), then being taken out (post much-needed nap) to see Prometheus; I’ll be modelling for the Yerbury Fine Art Nude seminar tomorrow at Pipewell Hall, then next week working with a well known children’s book author and illustrator, plus modelling for a mainstream photography magazine front cover up in Manchester (still available in Manchester on the afternoon of the 13th; get in touch if you want to work with me there!), amongst other quick shoots during the week. Sooo busy!! At some point next week I also want to start working on an online course I’ve applied for so will need to carve out some time for that and begin a schedule for the next 3 months (when I have to complete it by). I am also on a self-imposed writing break at the moment to get my fire back for it and make the most of the bookings I’m getting; the idea is that I will also catch up on reading lots of good books in the meantime to feed my imagination, but I’m struggling to read more than 5 pages or so of the brilliant Love in the Time of Cholera every couple of days…! And I used to read SO quickly!! I am also determined today to watch an episode of Game of Thrones. (In one of my many alternative life fantasies, I would be an actress in exactly this kind of thing – something along the lines of Merlin or King Arthur stuff; a sultry, elegant queen or fairy-like peasant with magical powers, riding my horse through forests and commanding people to fight for justice. (not that I’m actually in any way war-inclined). Yeah… Anyway…)

Good job I am really loving my job (aka accidental career) at the moment! What with the endless non-actual-modelling work to be done (updating, responding, emailing, scheduling, organising flights, buying tickets, coordinating bookings, packing, unpacking…) I’m really not sure how models who work more often than I do manage to have a life at all! Yes, our hourly modelling fees might be more than the minimum wage…. but for all the time and emotion that goes into it, I reckon we deserve it! 🙂

Anyway, I wanted to show some new figure shots from the Edinburgh-based photographer Britalicus, taken during my Scottish trip last month. There will be more to show from our session, but I have already put one of these in my portfolio (and eventually I will muster the extreme patience required to update my website via my crashy-McCrash Dreamweaver, with one of these plus millions of new recent shots I want to put on the various different galleries there; it’s a case of one new image per week there at the moment…. yawn…), so I wanted to blog a few.

Britalicus was such a pleasure to work with; although hiring me, he asked me at the beginning what I wanted to do for my portfolio! I told him I really loved his dynamic dark figures against the white background, an ongoing project of his, and we ended up having lots of fun with these. I also mentioned that I really wanted to do some strong nude dance work with a dancer, as that’s not something I’ve done yet (and Britalicus has some great stuff in that style), and so there is a potential second shoot in the making for this during my second Scotland trip in August/early Sept. When Britalicus first contacted me over on Model Mayhem (that was back in 2010!!! – I am a slow mover; I finally get to Scotland in 2012. Oops!) his message was incredibly humble and polite, and he described himself as a ‘relative novice’ and wondered if I would consider working with him; even then it was evident that he would do well, and as I said to him recently; look how his work has blossomed now that I finally have made it over there! Amazing! I have been so impressed with his passion and output, and he’s worked with some incredible models along the way. So without further ado, a first round of funky figure studies:

Hello! There is so much going on in my head at the moment here in Edinburgh, where I am curled up in the beanbag room of a backpacker hostel, cup of Earl Grey in hand, listening to the sounds of birds chirrupping (I genuinely don’t know if the sounds are authentic or just a beautiful dream-state soundtrack they play in this room on loop; it’s highly possible there are birds nesting in the enormous window frames. Pretty sure it’s real, actually). Out of the windows are old, old buildings and history, with the castle nearby. I love Edinburgh. I love meeting other models, too, and have enjoyed hanging out with Roswell Ivory and Fredau. Being in the company of people who share a similar lifestyle is such a relief, sometimes. I loved a little less the fact that the rain, upon arrival, immediately got into my boots (both pairs I’d brought along with me to Scotland), requiring me to dry my socks on Barrie Spence’s studio radiator two days in a row, then initiating a disintegration process in one of the pairs that somehow involved the gradual apparition of a pungent red, ironic powder in the sodden sole (non-durable shoes; a sacrifice I make in refusing to purchase leather). So I ended up shopping for ankle boots in a season which, fashion-wise, lays emphasis on flip flops and open-toe ballet pumps. Luckily, I managed to resist buying my chihuahua a kilt from one of the souvenir shops I happened to pass through. It took a lot of restraint.

Anyway, I wasn’t planning to say much in this blog post, so I will be quiet, and show some images recently sent to me by Vanijzen, a photographer I enjoyed working with in Amsterdam. I was given a suspended plank – a table top – and left to my own devices while we listened to some chill-out electronica-ish music. I found the session quite therapeutic.

Hope you like them. I do!

I’m sometimes asked by photographers I work with whether there are any other UK-based female art models I can recommend for them to consider. I can usually rattle off three or four I like a lot, depending on the brief, but thought it might be nice to feature some here.

In no particular order, these get my recommendation in terms of personality/spirit as well as visual inspiration!

1. Kayleigh Lush. Kayleigh is tall, slender and a skilled and talented dancer who I’ve had the pleasure of working with twice so far. She has bags of energy and a friendly personality, and can produce killer flexible poses – lots of fun to work with!

2. Leah Axl. Leah just has a perfect face. She is a petite brunette with a look about her that covers so many fleeting emotions and periods of time. If I were a photograher I would definitely want to shoot her. My opinion of her is only cemented by her super-niceness.

3.Cheryl Elizabeth. I haven’t actually met Cheryl (only spoken on the phone), though I hope to, but really rate her as a model and am in awe of her figure half the time. I sometimes think she’s a bit underrated and not as ‘well known’ as she should be. Long legged and a really beautiful, interesting face, I reckon:

4. Vicki Marie is another model I always mention when asked for recommendations for dancers. She’s a professional dancer, very flexible and pretty, but what I remember most about meeting her a couple of years ago was how professional-yet-friendly she was. She’s a lot of fun to have around.

6. Ivory Flame is a petite, classic red-head, with pale skin and a gentle (but fiery!) demeanour, as well as a good friend. I’ve had the pleasure of modelling alongside (as well as for) her many times and we make an excellent match in mood and aesthetic. Pictures of her are often the most interesting and successful in a photographer’s portfolio –  they always seem to stand out. It’s extremely unlikely you haven’t heard of her as she was a successful model way before I appeared on the scene (her profile was one I found particularly inspiring when I began), but it would be weird to miss her off this list!!

…. This is just a personal list of favourites and I’m sure there are more I could add. Everyone is inspired by and interested in different looks/skills, and that’s what makes the world go around! Have fun checking out their work!

Finally, in case you’re interested, Ivory Flame and I are available for bookings together at any time, but most notably on Friday 25th May, when we are available for bookings together with individual photographers at KVMedia Studios in Chesham (Saturday sold out before we’d even publically advertised it!). 🙂 The theme of the day is ‘Goddesses’ (we hope this doesn’t sound presumptious… it’s just a fun label to steer some creative potential!) Any related concepts can be explored, from softer classic beauty to powerful figures of feminine strength… Mother Earth, Birth of Venus, Egyptian Queens, Pre-raphaelite maidens, fairies, Greek myths, Horoscopes, Hindu deities, and warriors. For more information, just ask!

Here’s the advert for a CD with my face on, photography by Patrick Allen at www.operaomnia.co.uk. I think I look suitably wistful. 🙂

Did you know that in the twelfth century, it’s thought that nunneries sometimes supplied brothels with girls? Bizarre and disturbing fact of the day.

Anyway, I’m currently working with Mark Bigelow on a project to do with Rosamund Clifford, mistress of Henry II. These photos are from our first shoot, in which we tried to imagine her story and begin to embody her character. Mark is a great photographer and has captured the light beautifully, so there are lots of photos to choose from – here is a selection. Thanks Mark!