Posing Not Nude

Joe, my friend at work I’ve become close with, told me about an art project his boyfriend Jarod is currently working on: sketching the set of 22 tarot cards. My ears perked up when he asked if I’d like to pose for one of the tarot cards, as he and Cindy have already done so (with Joe as the Joker and Cindy as the Priestess.) I even volunteered to pose topless if necessary for artistic purposes. (Ok ok I knew my boobs will never look this way again when I’m 50 and they’re sagging.)

We met on a Sunday early afternoon, and after Joe treated us to brunch at a 50’s diner, we walked over to the studio in Soho. Jarod decided against the Empress card he originally envisioned for me. Instead, I’d pose as the Lust/Strength card as depicted by Beauty and the Beast. I’d play the Beauty (shut up!) and the kitschy goat devil necklace they found in Chinatown would play the Beast. I stripped down to next to nothing in my pink frilly Victoria’s Secret lingerie (sponsored by my bridal shower 3 years ago which I’ve finally put to good use.) The always accommodating Joe even provided a DVD player and two DVD’s for me to choose – Madonna’s Girly Tour and a teeny bopper horror movie Jeepers Creepers.

As I lied on the couch in a very comfortable position, after about 20 minutes or so, I wanted to die. No matter what position you’re in, if you have to hold still for a long stretch of time, your body cannot help but tremble and wish to move just even half a millimeter. I turned out to be not so good of a model as I must have moved a thousand times. Every time Jarod looked down at his sketch to draw me, I quickly moved just a little bit to give my muscles a tiny break from the torture. Of course Joe had to call me out and yelled, “Stop moving Evan! You’re as bad as me!” In the end, my self-imposed two-hour long torture was definitely well worth the lovely drawing Jarod was able to miraculously achieve for his art project.