Portrait of a Dancer

Last week I had a very different offer from my friend. Instead of dancing, she asked if I could pose as a dancer in her art class. I have always been fascinated by oils but never had the patience to dabble in that medium.
Believe me, it was a challenge for someone who cannot sit still.
The artists had to paint in the north lights of the studio. The session was to last for 3 hours. Reaching early in the morning,it was interesting to see so many people turn out, all waiting for me to pose. I thought of doing the seemingly easiest dance pose, never realizing my legs would kill me.
It was interesting to see how each one of them had a different perspective, very similar to the same song being choreographed differently. Starting with a rough sketch, they moved towards the finer details of expressions and eyes. The play of light and shadow made me look different to each one depending on where they were standing.
In dance, we too move from a rough choreography incorporating basic steps and poses to fine tuning our expressions and deleting unwanted sequences. The first sitting is the hardest when the idea is taking shape,there after everything else flows like an endless stream of motion.
Well, it was an eye opener! Until yesterday,I never thought what a wonderful invention the camera was. Both the artists and the models deserve credit for sitting through portrait sessions. Imagine this was the done thing for centuries! Next time, I go to an art gallery,I am going to remember to appreciate the model.