He was just a boy; almost nineteen; my neighbor's son. I'd known Richie since he was 8, when he and his mom had moved into her father's farmhouse to take care of the aging man. A year later, her father was dead and Mary and Richie settled comfortably into our community. Whenever I went away to a gallery exhibition or on vacation, Richie would feed my dogs, mow the grass, or shovel the snow from my driveway. Over the years, his growing love of art brought us closer; we'd have long talks about aesthetics and techniques. Under my tutelage, he was becoming a very good ceramicist.
That summer, his mother took a long-deferred trip to Europe with her sister, leaving Richie to tend their homestead and work to earn money for college. He was a shy young man, introspective and sensitive, soft-spoken and kind. On that warm, humid, hazy afternoon, he learned something else about himself and so did I.
I'd invited him to come over to do some sculpting in clay. I'd also invited Carol.
"Hi, Richie," I said, as he walked into my studio.
"Hi, Magda," he said, smiling and looking at Carol.
"Carol, I'd like you to meet Richie." They greeted each other with a handshake. "Carol's an artist, too," I said, "but today she's going to be our model." Carol was 38, the mother of two teenagers, and a good friend of mine. "If you'll get ready, Carol, Richie and I will set up our stuff." She nodded and walked out of the room.
"Have you ever worked with a nude model, Richie?" He tensed up.
"Uh, no, I haven't," he said, looking away.
"Well, then, you'll find this to be a great exercise. There's nothing like observing the nude to see how form and texture come together to illustrate beauty." I could see he was nervous. He excused himself to use the restroom. While he was gone, Carol returned in a gray robe. I took her aside and told her about Richie's lack of experience with nude models. She volunteered to let him do the blind man exercise. We exchanged smiles as he returned to the studio.
"A little teaching, first," I said and then proceeded to talk with Richie about how to build up the clay. Then, I turned to Carol. "Please remove your robe and stand on that spot of light over there." Nonchalantly, she threw her robe onto a chair and walked three paces to the light. Like the good model she is, she focused her eyes away from our direct glance. I turned to Richie who was blushing slightly, his eyes moving toward and away from Carol repeatedly. He was still tense.
"Richie," I said, "some models will let a serious sculptor like you get close to them so you can get a better idea of their form. Carol has agreed to help you with what we call the blind man exercise. So, come over here and stand in front of her." He approached her carefully.
"Good," I said. "Now, close your eyes and keep them closed until I tell you to open them. That way, you'll get the full benefit of this exercise." He did as he was told. "Okay, I'm going to take your hands and place them flat on top of Carol's head." I took his cool hands and gently lay them on her. She smiled at me.
"Now, here's the exercise, Richie. With your fingertips and your palms, I want you to feel Carol's head. Get to know how her hair feels, notice the shape of her skull. Slowly move your hands around her head and face. Feel the bones and the skin and the muscle. Try to see her head and her face in your mind's eye. And remember, don't open your eyes. Just take your time."
Richie studied Carol's head with his hands for a couple minutes. When he told me he could "see" it, I said it was time to move on.
"Open your eyes, Richie." He did, keeping his focus on Carol's head. "See how great it is to teach your hands to see?"
"It's amazing," he said, looking at me and then at Carol. "Thank you," he told her. She smiled.
"Okay, Carol; turn around with your back to Richie. That's it. Now, Richie, put your hands on her shoulders and close your eyes again. Carol, spread your feet about five inches apart." Again, I told Richie to slowly explore the contours and textures of Carol's body. He hesitated when he reached her ass but I encouraged him to feel her muscles as she tightened them.
"It's okay, Richie," she said. "Take your time and feel everything." He crouched down as he handled her thighs and then her calves. He grasped each leg with his hands, feeling the front and back of each one. After he examined her feet, I had him stand up and open his eyes again.
"Carol has a lovely back," I said, "and her legs have great definition. Could you "see" them like you "saw" her head and face?"
"Yes," he said, still sounding a bit nervous. He was still looking straight at me and not at Carol's back side.
"Finally, Carol, let's have you face Richie again and let the blind man see the front of you." She turned around and smiled at Richie who couldn't help looking down at her crotch and looking up again quickly. "Okay, Richie, put your hands on her shoulders, close your eyes one more time and work your hands over Carol's front. He reached out tentatively and then placed his hands on her. Even with his eyes closed, he looked nervous.
Slowly, he worked his hands and fingers over her shoulders and upper arms. Then he slid his hands down to her fingertips, all the while studying her biceps, triceps, forearms, and hands. When he was finished, he quickly returned to her shoulders. He hesitated again. Carol looked at me with a hint of lust in her eyes. Her nipples were stiff. Her shaved crotch was glistening.
"Go ahead, Richie," she said. "Let your hands teach you something." Very slowly, he traced each clavicle with his fingertips. Moving down, he felt the top of her breasts. "Put your hands on them," she said. "That's it. Now, feel their weight and their shape." She thrust her chest out a bit. Richie lifted her tits, squeezed them gently, and felt the hardness of her nipples. Carol closed her eyes as he felt her up. Then, he moved down her abdomen and traced her belly button. Slowly, he moved lower until the palm of his hand rested on her pubis. He stopped, waiting. Softly, Carol told him to use his fingers to feel her labia, explore her crevices, and see how her legs met her crotch. He did as he was told. With his hand still cupping her sex, I told him to open his eyes. He didn't move his hand away immediately and Carol didn't step away. She looked down and he did too as they both watched him slowly remove his hand that was now moist with her juices. She sighed.