Me as a Model
Monday, standing in the subway on the way to school, I looked down the length of the train and noticed another standing passenger, a guy wearing a t-shirt that read "tabernack!" It made me grin. After a couple of stops, the spot in front of the doors that wouldn't be opening until Union station opened up. I dragged my stuff across the car and proceeded do to my usual subway time killers: look at other passengers, try to see what they are reading, count ipod earphones, read the ads etc... One of the side seats across from me became available but as it was between two people, it wasn't worth the effort of me trying to stuff myself and my gear there so I remained standing. The guy I had seen at the end of the car had been moving up the car and grabbed the seat when no one else took it. I was lost in thought for a while but when I came back I saw he had a sketchbook and pencil and was doing some sketches. I quickly realized, by following where he was looking, he was sketching me. I really hate having my picture taken, especially without my permission. I find it invasive and rude. But I think there is something flattering about being the subject of a sketch, even uninvited. To be thought by someone "I'd like to draw her (or him)" means you have something interesting about you that catches the artist's eye. Be it beauty, symmetry, grace or an oddness, quirkiness, or even ugliness, it is something that has character they want to capture. As I left the train, I was able to catch a glimpse of his sketchbook and saw he had drawn a couple of full body sketches but mostly had drawn my head/face in different positions - probably with different expressions as I looked around the train and random thoughts went through my head. I left the train feeling a bit of an ego boost. Now, I wonder if I was just an exercise or will I end up in another work somewhere? I also hope he didn't draw me because he thought I had a fascinating ugliness...
Posted by Marmy on September 26, 2007 11:03 AM
Comments
was he good?
Posted by: tbit at September 26, 2007 11:36 AM
That's a wonderful story... and I hope he was a comic book artist, and soon you'll be a superhero bounding around superheroland... that'd be cool
Posted by: graig at September 28, 2007 04:51 PM