Art Model

This is a true story which happened a few years ago. Another one of my adventures where a small impulsive choice leads to more than expected. My stories are detailed and slow to buildup, not for the impatient reader.

*

My company develops technology used all over the world. I am fortunate to have always been good at math and science and to have pursued engineering at a good school. I joined my present company while still in school, starting as a technician and moving up through the organization where I now manage a number of professionals working in advanced research.

Part of my responsibilities involves teaching our technology to domestic and international companies and leading to much of my travel.

I am 35 years old and have been doing this kind of work now for many years. I am single, but have been involved in a few serious relationships. Some of these relationships suffered due to my travel, at times related simply to my absence and other times due to my partner being protective or jealous.

People who know me consider me fun loving and outgoing, but also conservative, meaning that I don't bring a different guy home every night. I enjoy sex very much, but when I am dating a new person, it usually takes a while before I would sleep with him.

At times I let my guard down and a few sexual adventures have occurred. Let me say not boasting I am attractive and it is relatively easy for me to meet and date men when I am interested. People tell me I look younger than my age and I stay in good shape. I like to run and this helps me keep a toned figure on my 5'7" athletic frame. I weigh 115 pounds and have natural 34C breasts. Coupled with blond hair, well, you get the picture. When I am alone it is because I choose to be. I still believe in the lightning bolt, the right guy for everyone. But sometimes I prefer to let nature take its course rather than actively search.

Teaching our technology may sometimes occur over many months. The company I was training was located in central Florida. During the initial negotiations, part of the deal was my company would provide onsite training for two weeks a month. I would not be the only one leading the training, but the plan was that I would be down personally about one or two weeks per month over the course of about 6 months. 'Take one for the team' was what my boss told me.

The heat does not bother me as much as many people, but the training started in late July and it got really hot many days. The work aspect of the training was going well. I would fly out on Monday mornings and typically go back on Friday afternoons.

The Florida company was located in a university town. I like college towns; good nightlife including bars and music and some variety of restaurants. It was decided we would stay in hotels rather than rent an apartment for the duration. I had a rental car, so it was easy to get around.

At the beginning, people at the company would invite me to dinner. I like to golf and I found the most convenient nearby courses. I would run through the university grounds. Dinner invitations gradually reduced as we got into a routine and the guys realized I was not looking to date anybody from the company.

This story begins about a month into the training during the month of August. We would typically start at 7:00 am and finish up around 3:30 or 4 pm. Practically, this meant I did not stay out too late, but it also meant I was on my own pretty early in the day. I would play golf maybe once or twice a week, doing a 5 mile run usually on alternate days. Dinner was frequently on my own. Sometimes I would go out to an actual sit down restaurant, other times someplace quick.

I found some great college bars to pass time. There were multiple places where there was food, dancing, live music, etc. But it could also get boring once in a while. This was not New York City.

I was out to dinner by myself on a Tuesday evening at the start of another training week. I was at a nice little Italian place which had everything well prepared. It was quiet and I would typically bring something to read. This night I had brought the local newspaper which I sometimes found amusing. The town was not without some crime, but it tended to be minor. Even with the university, the total population was not very large.

I was not looking for anything in particular in the classified ads, just passing time when a particular ad caught my attention. The ad called for art models at the school for fall classes. It gave a telephone number for additional information, but otherwise was very uninformative.

It has always been a dream of mine to model. I am good looking, but I don't claim to be professional model attractive. I have a good career and it was really too late to consider modeling. Modeling is also not the kind of job you can fit it in with a real job. I had lots of assumptions going through my head while I fantasized, but I guessed "art model" to mean there could possibly be nudity involved although the ad was silent.

I am comfortable with my body. I have gone to nude beaches many times. I admit the thought of being in something like Playboy is a fantasy, although I don't have the kind of looks necessary. Practically though, I had a relatively important job. I am well known within my industry, so from a professional perspective posing nude was not aligned to my career. There was also the social stigma. I was not bothered by it, but my family and friends would have been shocked to know I even like to go to nude beaches.

I would love to appear in Playboy if they did something where people did not know it was me. It sounds contradictory, but nevertheless, these were some of the things going through my mind. After dinner, I toyed with the idea of calling to at least find out the details.

It was still early while I daydreamed; only a little after 6 pm as I finished dinner. My attitude was almost a "what the heck" point of view when I called the number on the ad. I got an operator and told her what I was calling for and I was transferred the art department.

He answered, "Dr. Reynolds."

I said I was calling about the ad in the newspaper for art models. His tone softened as he explained what they were looking for. He said the art school was looking for models for the fall semester and they were looking for photography models as well as art models. When I said the ad only mentioned art models, he said photography models were paid more and the openings were easier to fill. He also mentioned that both photography and art modeling involved nudity.

I had more or less expected that, but it was still a bit of a shock to have it spoken out loud.

I asked about the time of the classes and how long they lasted, mentioning that I worked during the day and I was only in town on business usually one or two weeks per month. To my surprise, he replied that was not a problem as many of the classes did not use models and that they had some other models lined up already.

He then mentioned he was a professor at the college and the class instructor. He said I should think about it and if I was interested, I should come by the school to get more of details and handle the paperwork. He said classes were starting in a couple of weeks so they were trying to fill out the slots as soon as possible.

A lot was going through my mind and it would have been easy to chicken out. But I found the idea of modeling to be exciting and I thought by finding out more I would not be committing to anything. After all, the very things which had always prevented me from doing something like this were still there.

So really it was on almost on a lark when I asked when would be a good time to find out more.

He replied, "The classes run in the evenings from 7 to 9 pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays. I am here tonight and then again on Thursday."

I mentioned I would not be available at all on Friday nights due to my travel schedule and I asked if it was a problem. In hindsight, it was almost as if I was searching for a reason to back out.

He replied it was not a problem and repeated what he said earlier about having other models and that many classes did not have models.

He said caught me off guard by saying, "Why don't you stop by tonight?"

I could have hung up the phone or come up with an excuse. I could have also played for time and suggested a time on Thursday. A lot was going through my mind quickly, but it seemed like not much of a risk.

I responded, "Tonight would be fine. What time would work for you?"

He suggested 7:30 pm and gave me the location of the art school.

After we hung up, I realized I had been in a psychological negotiation with myself. Almost daring myself to do it, but then trying to talk myself out of it too. I sometimes try to analyze things too much instead of going with the flow, but I also knew I would try to understand and control both my excitement and also my hesitation.

I was very nervous but also exhilarated thinking about it. I had about 45 minutes before meeting with Professor Reynolds, so I went back to my hotel to change clothes. I had been wearing shorts and a tank to due the hot weather. I guess it was my upbringing, but even for an 'interview' for a job like this; I did not want to go looking too casual. I also took the time to shower first as I had been outside for a while on a hot Florida summer day.

My blond hair was shoulder length and I wore it down with a loose fitting red floral sundress. While I was getting ready and driving to the school, I had run through all the reasons I should not pursue this. I finally came to the realization I had an easy escape if I did not want to go through with it. Just come up with an excuse of any kind. I did not have to commit to anything; just leave with a 'let me think about it."

I headed up to the college and arrived on time. The university was spread out over a large area of the city. The art school was not a very big, a one story building with a parking lot in front and nice looking grounds with a lot of trees. I had run by the building before without having paid attention.

I went in and walked down the hallway where I saw the art department sign. The building was quiet as classes had not yet started. There was another corridor and I found his office.

I knocked, "Hello, Professor Reynolds? We spoke a little while ago about the art modeling."

He smiled as he got up from behind his desk, "Yes, hello, thanks for coming. You must be Beth."

He extended his hand and asked me to sit down.

He said, "Have you ever done any art modeling before?"

I replied I had never done modeling of any kind.

He said, "No problem. What made you decide to start?"

I smiled and said, "Well, I have not actually decided for sure yet. But the thought of it was very intriguing and something I always wanted to try."

He laughed, "Yes, I have gotten ahead of myself, haven't I? First, don't be nervous. I'll let you know what we are looking for and then you can tell me if you are interested."

He was a nice looking man, perhaps in his late 40's. I had not needed to change clothes, as he was wearing shorts and sandals with a polo shirt. Very casual, but I guess appropriate for the situation.

He said, "We have separate art and photography classes. We are anticipating about 8 - 10 art students and about 30 photography students. Models get $30 per hour for photography and $15 per hour for art class. Most of the models we use work in both classes."

He continued, "Both classes involve nudity. There is nothing sexual. Ever. This is artistic modeling, typically classic style posing. We may use articles of clothing sometimes to create an effect. Would you be all right with the nudity aspect?"

I replied that I was comfortable with nudity of the type he described, but I also told him I would only consider the art modeling. I explained my career would not be conducive to having nude images out in public and while that killed off the photography class, I thought art modeling would only be a likeness and I would not be identifiable.

He was a little surprised, "The other models will like you. They prefer mostly photography because of the higher pay, but we try to even it out to be fair. If you would only be doing art, it will allow them to do more of the photography."

I listened further as he repeated the times of the class and asked whether it would present a conflict. He took down my information.

I asked, "I am a little surprised you have trouble getting enough models. For a college student, the money is pretty good. For me, the money is not part of the interest; it is more the whole experience."

He said, "School policy is we do not use students for modeling. To be candid, not drawing on the undergraduate population makes it difficult. If I may also be blunt, women can also make more money at strip clubs."

He continued, "What do you think so far, is this something you might like to do? Let me show you the studio."

I had been thinking a lot while he had been describing things. I said, "So far so good, I would be interested if you have any examples of what type of posing, etc."

"C'mon then, we can do that at the studio."

We walked down the hallway and across to the other side of the building. The art class room was relatively large. There was what I thought of as a stage area. It had an elevated portion, some props, some furniture I imagined was part of the scene and a variety of different lighting apparatus'.

"Usually the students are spread in semi-circle around the model. Like I said, we are expecting somewhere around 8 to 10 students for art this semester. More are in photography, but in general art is not as popular these days. However, the art students tend to be more dedicated and devoted to the study and I would also say, perhaps more talented."

We walked over to the other side of the room where he pulled out some examples of the style of posing. He pulled out pencil drawings first and then some water colors and finally oil painting. He also opened a file drawer showing the style of work over a typical semester. There were a large number of still life art such as flowers, vases, fruit, etc. There was also a great deal of emphasis on light and shadow and geometry. The classes were focused on refining the student's technique.

Professor Reynolds showed me posing examples as well. One had a model sitting on the sofa chair with legs extended looking up and some sort of a cloth covering her waist. Another was a fully nude pose simply standing. There were a variety of other poses which you might see on any photoshoot. The poses were of what I would call classical, whether it was from a renaissance style or what you might call artistic. None of the poses he showed would fall into an erotica category.

He explained, "In photography, there could be a hundred different poses but in art there would only be one or maximum two in a session. Oh, by the way, there are breaks whenever you need one, but usually every 20 or 30 minutes to allow you to stretch and walk around."

I was absorbing all of this as he continued showing the template book. I saw some of the poses included more than one model, sometimes two women, sometimes a man and women.

I had not said anything, but apparently he noticed my surprise, "These poses sometimes don't happen. Either we don't have enough models or someone is uncomfortable. The main purpose is for the students to see contrast and the flow of the body forms together."

None of the poses were provocative, but some of them had some degree of touching or body contact although nothing which looked sexual.

He continued, "Like I said at the beginning, nothing sexual at all goes on or is implied. It is simply not allowed."

That part was never a consideration; I had full confidence in what he was saying and told him so.

He went on, "It requires great skill to capture the human body with drawing or paint. We teach contours, geometry, shadows, contrast, and symmetry. The students have to possess the inherent talent and ability beforehand or they are not accepted."

I said, "The class is not open to the student body?"

"Oh no, it is limited to serious, qualified students. When I said 8 to 10 are expected, we know of 8 students for sure. We know the names of 2 more who are not yet 100%. By the way, I teach the art class. That is also the reason I do the model screening as it is sometimes harder to fill. I have been doing this for 8 years, so we have somewhat of a system in place."

I thanked him for taking the time to explain things so well. We talked a little about scheduling and it was determined doing two hour sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the week I would be in town would work out fine.

He then said, "So here is a good point where you can decide to back out or not. You obviously are very pretty and you look to be a good candidate. But if you are serious about this, I will need you to undress so I can make sure there are no problems."

He looked at me hesitating and said, "I can see you are not quite sure about this."

He let that hang out there for a moment, but after a pause, he said, "We are not looking for perfection, but I need to make sure there is nothing too distracting about your body, either significant tattoos, piercings, or scars which will distract the student's attention."

What he said made sense and even during the last 20 minutes of discussion I had wondered whether there was an audition.

I smiled, "Well, if you can read my mind that easy......then you already know I am serious about this."

He smiled back, "Good. There is a dressing room through that door. There should be a robe on a hook. If you would come out when you are ready, I will wait out here."

I had not fully decided to do this or not and this would have been a perfect time to back out. I make a lot more money than was being offered here and there was some apprehension about how I would actually feel posing nude. However, my real concerns about anonymity and whether the whole class was professional or not had all been answered. And my personality was not really one of being too timid.

Whatever I would end up doing, walking out now seemed cowardly. Also, to be completely candid, I had gotten excited by the thought of doing this. So I went back to the dressing room and slipped off my clothes. I took off the sundress and realized he really had no idea what kind of figure I had as the dress was loose fitting and flowing.

I removed my bra and panty. After looking at myself in the mirror and being grateful for having a good workout program, I felt proud of my body. I realized I had gotten lucky on one point. I like nude beaches, but I never have been able to go often enough to have an all over tan. Normally I would have some tan lines from golfing, sunning in a bikini, etc. However, I had recently been going to a tanning salon. Nothing to do with this art modeling. The result was that I did not have a deep tan, but there were no distinct tan lines.

I put on the robe and I walked back out into the studio as Professor Reynolds came over.

At this moment, I was very nervous, not unlike how I feel when I first strip at a nude beach. But I realized the analogy and it was calming.

He said, "I know this is your first time, but don't be nervous. Take your time and we'll start whenever you are ready."

I acted calmer than I felt. I untied the robe and laid it down over a chair. I was standing completely nude in front of him. Without him saying anything I turned to show him my backside and then turned to face him.

So here I was, standing nude in front of a stranger. It had nothing to do with him, but I find that kind of a situation somewhat stimulating and like clockwork I could feel my nipples harden. I wondered if he had noticed.