My first ever life class, at The Art Students League in NYC, the summer between seventh and eighth grade, I studied with Earl Mayan. The first model we had, Mimi, was in her seventies at the time, and had been the model for and mistress of, George Bellows. She told us fun stories of 1920s low life, gave me a neck rub when the long day of…
My first ever life class, at The Art Students League in NYC, the summer between seventh and eighth grade, I studied with Earl Mayan. The first model we had, Mimi, was in her seventies at the time, and had been the model for and mistress of, George Bellows. She told us fun stories of 1920s low life, gave me a neck rub when the long day of drawing gave me a cramp, and was just a blast to hang around with. Nowadays, as a teacher myself, I get the harassment and legal peril of having one naked person in a room full of clothes people, but I sure do miss that more casual atmosphere.
I love your story about Mimi and the neck rub. Years ago, around 1980, I remember taking a workshop from a rather elderly Burne Hogarth (founder of SVA). He would draw the muscle sets on a male model with chalk. It felt creepy and weird even then. It was also the era when it was OK for teachers to competely trash and berate a student, even to stomp on their work in front of the class.
My first ever life class, at The Art Students League in NYC, the summer between seventh and eighth grade, I studied with Earl Mayan. The first model we had, Mimi, was in her seventies at the time, and had been the model for and mistress of, George Bellows. She told us fun stories of 1920s low life, gave me a neck rub when the long day of drawing gave me a cramp, and was just a blast to hang around with. Nowadays, as a teacher myself, I get the harassment and legal peril of having one naked person in a room full of clothes people, but I sure do miss that more casual atmosphere.
I love your story about Mimi and the neck rub. Years ago, around 1980, I remember taking a workshop from a rather elderly Burne Hogarth (founder of SVA). He would draw the muscle sets on a male model with chalk. It felt creepy and weird even then. It was also the era when it was OK for teachers to competely trash and berate a student, even to stomp on their work in front of the class.
Wonderful! Once again I'm reminded of my long ago dream to attend the art student's league and I love hearing those stories.
Take their online classes! I have done figure drawing for a couple of years from Oregon. Not the same as in person but better than not
Thanks!