Life Having Themes.......

An article by Steve B Robinson who has been a RAM model and is an artist.

We like to hear model stories.....

Steve says:

Years ago, too many to work out.........it will only depress me.........I was modelling full time at Loughborough University School of Art and Design (LUSAD) and it was there that I was asked to model in drag. Twice. Once for a final year student and once for an adult evening class held within the building. It was this last session that I wrote about in the old paper magazine, BARE ART. It turned into two articles as I first wrote about how this had come about and was then invited to relay the resultant session. I supplied a photograph too, which was published.

As a result of this article I had a couple more sessions in this guise, I thought maybe I had found a niche market, but it was short lived.

Now, so many years later, I find life almost imitating art as I attend life modelling sessions wearing a skirt and likewise any private viewings where my art is being exhibited (such as this years Leicester Open 26). The reason is confused. After I suffered a clot in my right calf a few years ago my doctor warned me that I would now have water retention. This has proved to be the case, but rather than simply give in to it I researched and discovered its all about speed of circulation and as both my jobs of driving a taxi and life modelling consist of me spending large amounts of time not moving much I needed to do something about forcing the blood to flow quickly and not deposit any water in my ankles and further up my leg. Support tights was one answer, but being unwilling to go that far so quickly my wife suggested lycra leggings, which do offer a light support (it says so on some packets) and my son came home with a cycle. This combination has succeeded in slowing down the retention, but of course wont beat it completely.

However, I started off wearing the leggings beneath trousers but as you guessed that's just too warm, and trousers don't feel right rubbing along the fabric. So I took to wearing shorts in the taxi. Amazingly, hardly anyone comments on the shorts, not even through this winter, and only TWO people have mentioned , what my wife calls tights, leggings.

Walking around in shorts reminded me of how uncomfortable they actually are and how ugly they can look. Then I remembered the skirt I purchased to make a Supergirl outfit as challenged by my accountant ( I did it and I paid only half my fee this year and she paid that and the other half to the charity MIND). It had felt good. I remembered I had felt good in a dress modelling at LUSAD. So, I plucked up courage and went into my next modelling session in this red skater skirt, and NOBODY LOOKED OR SAID ANYTHING !!! I even walked into the city during a three hour break I had between sessions and again NOTHING !!! Not what I had expected, but it set me on this path of being known as the skirted artist, and now I have a kilt . I don't dress to look feminine, in fact I think I look more manly in my leggings and hiker socks and walking boots. Hence the kilt. A mans garment. Confusing, as mentioned earlier? Yes, because I like how it feels......freedom, airy, lightness, and now I hate trousers.

What has this to do with RAM? Well, its about being Artists Models, not Nude Models.....Yes, of course I'm mostly nude, but look where being dressed lead me! You never know if art is imitating life or vice versa. Accept and embrace every opportunity because you just don't know where it will take you.

Love all, hurt none and walk in soft shoes