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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 2012)
loving your body 2012 the body is the art FIGURE DRAWING AT ESAP by Caitlin McKimmy p eople glance at themselves in windows, take pictures of themselves, and ask each other, “How do I look?” They scrutinize their bodies through a network of literal and fi gurative mirrors. In a culture that elevates a narrow vision of physical beauty, it can be hard to love the different realities that are refl ected — there is pressure from society to mentally paint bodies over with imperfections, and to sketch in innumerable critiques. But what would happen if you were presented with an image of yourself that was painted or drawn, and infused with the creativity of an artist? Every week at the Eugene Storefront Art Project (ESAP) headquarters, models and their nude bodies become an inspiration for art in organized life-drawing sessions. “It’s easy to take off your clothes as an art form,” ESAP model Meisha Linwood says. “I am always so excited to see people’s talents and how they decide to depict me.” Linwood, who has been modeling for artists for fi fteen years, is an artist herself, and she says she is glad to support the local art community. Lindwood says modeling is a fulfi lling form of personal expression. “The body is a beautiful machine,” she says. “I’m no skinny-mini, but I’m defi nitely comfortable in my skin and I love sharing that.” ESAP LIFE-DRAWING SESSION Photo by Rob Sydor | digitallatte.com At ESAP, life-drawing sessions begin with short, expres- sive one-minute poses. As the session progresses, models work up to poses that last half an hour. This requires a lot of concentration and strength. “I have to be judicious about choosing models,” Nicola Noetic, the facilitator of the ESAP drawing sessions, says. “I’ve had people that just can’t stay still and keep laughing and moving their heads. That makes it really hard for the artists.” Life drawing, or fi gure drawing, is a historically en- grained tradition in studio art. Observing a live model, artists wrestle with the intricate contours of the body. “It’s impor- tant to use live models because they are three dimensional,” Noetic says. “Every artist has a slightly different perspective of the model. It’s better than drawing from pictures because photographs distort everything a little bit.” The ESAP drawing sessions have male and female models of all body types. “You have to be really brave to go up there and model,” says Noetic. She has coordinated modeling sessions at several venues in Eugene, and she says that she loves seeing how life drawing bolsters the confi dence of artists and models alike. During these life-drawing sessions, models sink into their skin and artists try to refl ect the perfection of the human form. Through this process models and artists alike can’t help but realize that every body is literally a work of art. The life drawing sessions take place at the ESAP headquarters on E. 11th every Tuesday from 6 to 8 pm. For more information, visit ESAP’s website at www. eugenestorefrontartproject.org/ ew EUGENE YOGA a sanctuary for body, mind, spirit $30/30 DAYS OF UNLIMITED YOGA/NIA CLASSES* FREE Intro to Yoga/Sat Feb 11 10:15-11:45 AM Limited Space/Preregister Three Specialized Series starting in February requires pre registration Yoga for Large Bodies Yoga X-training for Cyclists/Runners Ayurvedic Yoga VALENTINE’S SALE! 10%-50% store wide *must be NEW to the studio 541-520-8771 • www.eugeneyoga.us 857 Willamette St. | 541•654•0822 | www.meenaimports.com Qigong Holly Brooks, LMT Therapeutic Massage wering Clients Through... E mpo Body-Mind Awareness Education Pilates-based Training Hands-on Treatments Offering you a quiet place to unfold in southwest Eugene $10 off massage through February 29 541-513-8224 holly@hollybrookslmt.com license #12370 WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM S pecializing In... Holistic Approach Back & Neck Pain MVA & Work Injuries Sports Injuries Maximize Your Potential… Become Bodywise! 313 E. 8th Ave. Eugene, OR 97401 P: 541-484-0693 www.becomebodywise.net Classes Self-Healing and Practitioner Certification In Medical Qigong Energetic Medicine NCCAOM pdu’s for Acupuncturists Energetic Healing Sliding Scale $60 to $90 per hour Intro Appointment $35 for 1.5 hour session, may include Health Dialog, Pre- scription Exercise, Energetic Treatment Eric Shaffer, DMQ (China) International Institute of Medical Qigong - Oregon Branch Susan Shaffer Certified Instructor/ Practitioner - Spring Forest Qigong info@qigong-clinic.com 541-654-0219 Visit www.qigong-clinic.com EUGENE WEEKLY FEBRUARY 9, 2012 13
