The female nude and a lifetime of study
After yesterday’s post about what to give my step-son for his 18th birthday, a number of wags made comments such as ’38-24-36′ via Twitter and Facebook.
This reminded me of my own fascination with the female form as an 18 year old.
I was a great Norman Lindsay fan and had visions of living a bohemian lifestyle, painting nudes and living a carefree life in an attic somewhere!
My first year out of school, I had completed around 30 paintings and was on the way to accumulating 50 works for a one man art show when, at the insistence of Kit Denton, a friend’s father, I decided to enter around 20 pieces in an art exhibition at my old school in the Blue Mountains.
This is the oil painting that didn't sell. I had actually done it as an exercise in trying to paint a wet t-shirt. It now hangs in our bedroom
On the evening of the exhibition, I stood around with my glass of champers and quietly listened to the critique. One woman loved one of my paintings so much that she kept coming back to it and discussing it with a female friend.
I remember being very excited; I thought I had a sale for sure. It was a painting of a woman semi naked on a beach. I was disappointed when I heard her say to her friend, ‘I’d really love to buy that painting but Garry would think I was queer.’
Later that evening, I overheard two men talking about the same painting. One bloke said that he wanted to buy the painting for his study, but he thought his wife would not approve.
Now I was disheartened. Could I actually make a career out of painting nude women!
I still liked the idea of painting female nudes, but as they had proved hard to sell, I gave up on the idea. I did sell a few paintings and a couple of drawings at that exhibition though, so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.
Oh to be 18 again!
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About the Author
Chris Edwards is a Leadership Coach and Communication Strategist. He is a City2Surf Legend who applies the same focus and dedication to his clients that has powered him over the line year after year.
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