I did start new in 2014. I have started new before, at the beginning of 2013, but I will keep trying till I get it right. Sound like something you have said before? I started with making of list of the things I had on my mind to do. Not a life time list, just a list from the previous day. Things I wanted to do and got side tracked from accomplishing. Side tracking is something I do really well. So on the top of my list is "don't get side tracked" That alone would be a great feat. I did cross off two items on a six item list. Not too bad. Well, I did start late in the day, that has to count for something. Now I will carry over the remaining four items but I will not add a new list on the next day until I finish the last list. Now we can throw away a finished list and feel satisfied. If I added a next day list to a previous day list I will never be done and just feel really bad about that. Yes, writing this blog post is a list item. Great, another check mark on my ledger. It is tedious at times but can bring such relief that we are really progressing in life and not just walking in place.
Now if you ball up the finished list loosely and throw it in a small waste basket you can see the lists fill the basket real quick. This will be satisfying for sure. No it is not cheating. It is an accounting method to put the world in it's place. Keep smiling.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Thursday, January 2, 2014
A new beginning.
2014, wow it doesn't seem possible and yet here it is. What will we do with it. Now of course is the time for all those New Year resolutions. Loosing weight, now there is a winner for sure. Can I? , Can you? do you want to? do I want to? You bet I do. Now how will I start. I love that old bit of sage - "today is the first day of the rest of your life", how true that really is. That saying alone gives me the fire to get started. So it will be a healthy breakfast first, then some exercise today will be real easy. I say easy because nature provided a nice bit of snowfall which needs to be cleared from my car, driveway and sidewalks. You see how much fun this new year can be already. I'm sure you will have your own set of circumstances to start a new beginning for 2014, so right now give it some serious thought, choose wisely and go for it. Remember, baby steps first. This actually is a great time to go buy my new book because it's all about choices in life. Sorry no exercise involved in that because you only have to push a button to go to Barnes & Noble online or Amazon to find my book. "It Takes a Naked Man to Tell a Naked Story" Happy reading.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Happy New Year
I'm so sorry friends for being away from this page for so long. There has been so much going on with the book and the learning curve for me publishing my first book has been much more that I had thought. But here I am, onward and upward as they say. The print version of my book is now up at
Amazon just a few days ago. I hope you will find it interesting. So many have told me it was print for them or nothing so I have finally got that going. It will be in other stores over the next few weeks. If you have a favorite place to purchase let me know and I will try to get it there for you. Happy and Healthy New Year to you all. Lets all join hands and make 2014 a greatly improved living experience. Peace be with you all.
Oh, as you can see I finally got the train running around my Christmas tree again. Diesel our dog keeps pushing houses on the tracks but he seems to like the train going around. He doesn't chase it like he does the mailman.
Amazon just a few days ago. I hope you will find it interesting. So many have told me it was print for them or nothing so I have finally got that going. It will be in other stores over the next few weeks. If you have a favorite place to purchase let me know and I will try to get it there for you. Happy and Healthy New Year to you all. Lets all join hands and make 2014 a greatly improved living experience. Peace be with you all.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Body shapes in art.
How do you see art? Certainly many forms are present but for my post today I am speaking of shape and form as seen in human anatomy and architectural structure. Some may not see the connection but surely there is beauty in both.
The human body when properly maintained has both form and function with swelling muscle shapes and curvy body mass forms. The same is true of a nicely designed building or an exotic sports car.
Once again I am watching "Dancing with the Stars" while writing. The dancers here certainly exemplify great shape and form which gives them the ability to function so gracefully. Appreciating the curves leading to shapely lines and full forms that indicate graceful motion is to recognize art in its most natural existence.
If we were to look at the exotic sports car in the same fashion certainly all the above would be true with the form and function adding even more value to performance. Shapes that reduce wind resistance can add to miles per gallon or even top speed. The road handling of the well designed sports car compares to the sure footedness of the trained dancer. Both become art in motion and their beauty can be equally appreciated.
My working as a artist model has given me a much greater appreciation for this form and function I speak of here. You can learn about that in my new book "It Takes a Naked Man to Tell a Naked Story" everywhere e-books are sold.
The human body when properly maintained has both form and function with swelling muscle shapes and curvy body mass forms. The same is true of a nicely designed building or an exotic sports car.
Once again I am watching "Dancing with the Stars" while writing. The dancers here certainly exemplify great shape and form which gives them the ability to function so gracefully. Appreciating the curves leading to shapely lines and full forms that indicate graceful motion is to recognize art in its most natural existence.
If we were to look at the exotic sports car in the same fashion certainly all the above would be true with the form and function adding even more value to performance. Shapes that reduce wind resistance can add to miles per gallon or even top speed. The road handling of the well designed sports car compares to the sure footedness of the trained dancer. Both become art in motion and their beauty can be equally appreciated.
My working as a artist model has given me a much greater appreciation for this form and function I speak of here. You can learn about that in my new book "It Takes a Naked Man to Tell a Naked Story" everywhere e-books are sold.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
The Art of being a model
Figure art has been around since the beginning of man. The evidence is still in caves. Today the figure artist has the advantage of a model that is standing still. That in itself is an art. I am a model, I guess you know that by now. Who would think that standing, sitting or even laying down would be so difficult and develop into an art form. I have heard student artists complain about a model that moves too much. Perhaps a model has been in a pose for 30 minutes and sometimes more so they take a break and come back to the pose. It is very difficult to get the same pose back exactly and new artists in particular have a difficult time making the adjustment in their drawing or understanding how to use the foundation they started with to continue with the drawing. I have often heard the teacher say "don't chase the model"
It is the models job to be still as much as possible. Not always an easy task. Muscles and joints are not used to being motionless for long periods even in sleep. A focus is needed mentally to be still and here is the "art" of being a model. I sometimes will pretend I am a granite sculpture. My eyes will focus on a an object or shape of any kind to hold my head straight. This is a key because most of the body will follow suit if you hold your head still. If you are contemplating being a model try practicing at home first. Use a timer and see how long can you sit still. The minimum would be 20 minutes as these are commonly repeated in a classroom setting.
Doing standing poses for long periods puts a lot of stress on knees, ankles, feet and back. Certainly adjustments can be made in pose but always keep in mind the original pose to settle back into it.
The experienced artist will have much less a problem with a moving model but most would say they would much prefer one that does not move.
The art of being a model is much more that just holding the pose, it is also understanding the pose itself and what the lesson is calling for or what an artist is looking to accomplish. The experienced artist will most certainly have ideas if you can't think of something. Always listen and try to give what the artist needs. This is the short lesson, much more is involved, just remember if you are an artist - - your model has a tough job that few people want to do,-- try to be patient.
Happy drawing!
It is the models job to be still as much as possible. Not always an easy task. Muscles and joints are not used to being motionless for long periods even in sleep. A focus is needed mentally to be still and here is the "art" of being a model. I sometimes will pretend I am a granite sculpture. My eyes will focus on a an object or shape of any kind to hold my head straight. This is a key because most of the body will follow suit if you hold your head still. If you are contemplating being a model try practicing at home first. Use a timer and see how long can you sit still. The minimum would be 20 minutes as these are commonly repeated in a classroom setting.
Doing standing poses for long periods puts a lot of stress on knees, ankles, feet and back. Certainly adjustments can be made in pose but always keep in mind the original pose to settle back into it.
The experienced artist will have much less a problem with a moving model but most would say they would much prefer one that does not move.
The art of being a model is much more that just holding the pose, it is also understanding the pose itself and what the lesson is calling for or what an artist is looking to accomplish. The experienced artist will most certainly have ideas if you can't think of something. Always listen and try to give what the artist needs. This is the short lesson, much more is involved, just remember if you are an artist - - your model has a tough job that few people want to do,-- try to be patient.
Happy drawing!
Monday, September 2, 2013
Weight loss - the naked truth
Weight loss is never easy and that is the "naked truth." I use the term "Naked" a lot you will notice. There is an honesty to that which is rarely really understood. Certainly it means without clothing. If we realize that clothing hides our true self - our real appearance - then "naked" becomes the truth, nothing to hide behind, just nothing but the "bare" facts.
So - when I first started to model for art schools I was heavier than I wanted to be and more than I had been in a long time. Yet here I was prepared to bare all to make a few bucks in a part time job. That first class scared me right into a gym within a week. Why? you may ask, and the answer is, "the belly." Middle age men start getting the beer belly even if you don't drink beer and as a former long distance runner I was not use to that. During and after the class I got to see the drawings students were doing of me and holy cow batman, where did that belly come from. I joined a gym and started working out and running again, (mind you I was 62 at the time). Let me tell you the amount of exercise needed to loose 20 lbs at any age let alone a slow metabolism 62 year old seems to be about the same effort the space shuttle needs to clear a launch pad. Vanity would be the primary reason of course but certainly not the important one. When you loose weight you feel better, you walk easier , climb stairs easier, sing and dance easier and just plane wonder why you didn't do it sooner.
I may suggest if you have been considering your weight that you try it my way first - ask to be a model at an art class and strip to nothing while strangers examine your body and then draw what they see -- or you could just stand naked in front of a mirror if that first thought scares you. The mirror will not forgive the truth for you to see and there is your motivation my friends.
If you're not an exercise nut or evenly remotely considering the task at hand, take a little advice- don't go jogging or riding a bike or working out on machines at a gym. You won't like it and you can get hurt which is worse -- just start slowly with evaluating your food intake - reduce it a bit at a time and go for a 30 minute walk every day. Try working your walks up to an hour with a slightly elevated heart rate and I promise you - the weight will come off.
The picture you see here is me in Vietnam in 1967 and it reminds me of what skinny was really like and how I will probably never be there again -- but I can have a goal and keep looking at the picture to stay motivated. Good luck. Stay naked.
So - when I first started to model for art schools I was heavier than I wanted to be and more than I had been in a long time. Yet here I was prepared to bare all to make a few bucks in a part time job. That first class scared me right into a gym within a week. Why? you may ask, and the answer is, "the belly." Middle age men start getting the beer belly even if you don't drink beer and as a former long distance runner I was not use to that. During and after the class I got to see the drawings students were doing of me and holy cow batman, where did that belly come from. I joined a gym and started working out and running again, (mind you I was 62 at the time). Let me tell you the amount of exercise needed to loose 20 lbs at any age let alone a slow metabolism 62 year old seems to be about the same effort the space shuttle needs to clear a launch pad. Vanity would be the primary reason of course but certainly not the important one. When you loose weight you feel better, you walk easier , climb stairs easier, sing and dance easier and just plane wonder why you didn't do it sooner.
I may suggest if you have been considering your weight that you try it my way first - ask to be a model at an art class and strip to nothing while strangers examine your body and then draw what they see -- or you could just stand naked in front of a mirror if that first thought scares you. The mirror will not forgive the truth for you to see and there is your motivation my friends.
If you're not an exercise nut or evenly remotely considering the task at hand, take a little advice- don't go jogging or riding a bike or working out on machines at a gym. You won't like it and you can get hurt which is worse -- just start slowly with evaluating your food intake - reduce it a bit at a time and go for a 30 minute walk every day. Try working your walks up to an hour with a slightly elevated heart rate and I promise you - the weight will come off.
The picture you see here is me in Vietnam in 1967 and it reminds me of what skinny was really like and how I will probably never be there again -- but I can have a goal and keep looking at the picture to stay motivated. Good luck. Stay naked.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
It's WOW time.
Wow this is great, my book hit the Kindle store at Amazon today and at Smashwords as well. It's so exciting to finally see this all come together. Thanks so much to blog readers and YouTubers, the view counter is rising daily. I hope you will all like the book.
The book is a snapshot of a life that often takes the unconventional approach to a question. The question we all get on a daily basis - that is - what do I do with this situation? or this task or this relationship. From Vietnam to nude model and everywhere in between, lots of life happens and risks are taken. Stepping outside the box can be a new experience for anyone, especially if you're conservative by nature. Perhaps you will take a new step in a whole new direction after reading this book. Enjoy.
The book is a snapshot of a life that often takes the unconventional approach to a question. The question we all get on a daily basis - that is - what do I do with this situation? or this task or this relationship. From Vietnam to nude model and everywhere in between, lots of life happens and risks are taken. Stepping outside the box can be a new experience for anyone, especially if you're conservative by nature. Perhaps you will take a new step in a whole new direction after reading this book. Enjoy.
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