Hello Arty People!

The Arty Poser's newsletter on life drawing events, art modelling and more in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Welcome to The Arty Poser’s first newsletter and it starts with big news!

Welcome to my newsletter. It's been a few years in the making but you can now get regular updates about all things related to The Arty Poser from: where you can draw me next to awesome projects that I'm involved in. This includes my exciting news about my brand new course that I’ve got in the works, as well as the community I am building for arty people- whether you are an art model with experience, curious about how to get started modelling or a creator of all things arty- I am happy to have you here. It won’t always be about the modelling side. I will be interviewing artists about their practice and sharing recommendations on arty things that I love.

Why now?

It’s been an unusual path to discovering my purpose and where I fit in in the world of work when my personality and energy is that of a cartoon character. I have big ideas and all the time in the world for people and making connections but always felt that my gifts were limited to certain niche spaces and that I was doomed to have my passions be limited to a side-hustle while struggling with my place in corporate life.

I have had so many jobs over the last 10 years, but I’ve always been modelling for life drawing groups and courses since my university days studying illustration, on the side and after hours. That was, until 2020 (pre pandemic announcement) when I went on a course to help me figure out why I couldn’t gel with any of my previous jobs where I was employed and what obstacles were blocking me from living my best life as 100% self employed.

Since then I have experimented with a few different business models and done a lot of deep work and introspection resulting in an ADHD diagnosis, a whole set of mental upgrades and a roadmap to where I want to be (helping people like me) and how to get there (starting a network for art models -Eep! This is BIG stuff! Which I’ll talk about in a minute).

It took the world falling apart for me to finally put myself together but now I’m here and more organised than ever before. After going on many courses (and even teaching a couple), I am finally ready to put my knowledge as an art model, with over a decade of experience under my dressing gown belt -pauses for the groans at my terrible pun- to good use and help other models with all the aspects I struggled with for the first few years of life modelling.

The Network of Art Models (Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire) is born

For a long time I ummed and ahhed about joining the leading union for art models in the UK, the Register of Art Models (RAM) but at almost £40 per year for membership with jobs posted mostly in the south of the country and a few scraps of work in the midlands, it didn’t seem worth the cost, plus, it didn’t seem to affect how organisers operate around me. However, the free information on there helped me enormously and I want to pass on everything I’ve learned from that site as well as my own experience in the art space in my corner of Yorkshire, England. I decided to create a community where art models near me could connect and share work opportunities.

My mission with NAM and opportunities for new models

My mission with NAM is to create a network of art models in the area so that we have a sense of community (it can be isolating being self employed and not having peers to discuss a bad day at work with, as well as not knowing if you’re being taken advantage of by shady or unethical organisers/artists you may work with on a 1-1 basis.

I am currently collecting names, emails and numbers of current and interested models to create a database so that I can organise life drawing sessions myself and post work opportunities for models (as I get busier I sometimes have to turn down jobs and I know there are some great models out there looking to be recommended). The newest opportunity being a collaboration with a gallery in Barton and a local artist -more on that as it develops.

My course is in the final stages of development and I will be looking to announce a date in the next 4-6 weeks for the in-person workshop with a view to eventually record the course for online consumption.

I will be teaching the physical aspects of being an art model, some technical language used by tutors so you know what they need from you as well as some physical health advice relating to the work. The second part will be about ettiquete, boundaries and the business of being a professional art model.

There is so much information that isn’t mentioned that you are expected to know as a model and it is important not only to be safe in your place of work (modelling is a real job) but also to have your boundaries respected and to be compensated properly for your time. As a network, we are stronger together and can help keep organisers accountable and us happy and thriving at work so we can be at our best to provide an excellent service to the many institutions and individuals we may work with.

Subscribe so you don’t miss out!

My hope is to create a WhatsApp group and if it gets bigger, maybe a discord but that feels a way off yet. Until then, you should subscribe to this newsletter to stay up to date with developments and if you are an experienced or aspiring model you can contact me directly at TheArtyPoser@gmail.com and asked to be added to the community and database. Despite all the hours I’ve put in to developing this project, I am hoping to keep this network free to join, for as long as is possible, as it is a passion of mine. The first iteration of the course for models will be kept as cheap as I can and there will be a couple of networking events throughout 2024 which will be very low cost to attend where we can meet in person and share advice and make new friends.

Ella Street Festival 2022 (The Arty Poser teaches figure drawing 101 - dressed as Wonder woman)

I hope my little newsletter fills you with as much excitement for the future of figurative art in the Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire area as it does me.

If you’d like to read more about the projects I’m working on, as they develop, including where to go to practice your figurative art in the area, I’d be honoured to welcome you to my community of Arty People.

Subscriptions are open to anyone and you can cancel at any time.

Warmest of regards - especially to those who pose nude

The Arty Poser

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