By Chris Cunningham
The Scene staff
Imagine sitting on a stage completely naked. The room is quiet as an art instructor tells students how to sketch you – fat rolls, wrinkles and all. Sound scary?
This is part of a regular day for nude models, who bare it all in Forest Park art classes.
“I’ve never been nervous,” said Bert Haier, 72, of Webster Groves, a retired hairdresser who has been modeling for 35 years. “I have always been comfortable with my body.”
Model Mary Grace Evans, 64, of University City, also feels at ease taking off her clothes for a room full of art students.
She started modeling at University of Detroit Mercy, where she also majored in theater and performed in plays.
“Once you crawl on the stage as a mouse or a lion, being on the platform to model doesn’t make you feel all that weird,” said Evans, who now works as a market researcher.
Haier and Evans are two of a handful of men and women who model nude in Figure Drawing I and II classes.
Art department chair Yingxue Zuo said drawing live models is important for an artist’s growth.
“You learn how to deal with space, unity and personal expressions,” he said.
Models typically change into robes before walking into the classroom, disrobing and striking a pose on a small stage. Sometimes they use props, such as croquet mallets or broom handles.
Students stand or sit at easels and sketch the models, usually with charcoal pencils.
“Maybe the first five seconds it was weird,” said Dana Valley, 30, a homemaker from St. Louis County, who is enrolled in Figure Drawing I. “But then my brain kicked in, and I said to myself, ‘Oh, that’s what we do in this class.’”
Many students think drawing nudes improves their artistic skills. Art major Eryca DeSmith, 21, said it has given her the chance to study anatomy more closely.
She is considering modeling herself.
“I feel like I’d be helping to inspire creative in artists,” she said.
Nude models strike a variety of poses, such as standing on one foot, sitting with their legs crossed or laying down.
They recieve periodical breaks, but the physical stress on the body is unavoidable.
“It can be taxing,” said Brooks Johnson, 35, of South County, a landscaper who models on the side. “There is a lot of fatigue from holding your arms, and your legs can fall asleep, causing (it to feel like) pins and needles.”
To combat the strain, Johnson practices yoga, and Haier works out seven days a week, running, streching and weight-lifting.
Johnson, Haier and Evans say their families know about their modeling and have no problem with it. Model Eric Peniston, 47, said his mother even has a nude portrait of him in her house.
On second thought, Evans can think of one relative who wouldn’t have approved.
“My aunt was a nun,” Evans said. “Maybe she would have thought it was better if I was clothed.”
Nude models at Forest Park make $13.50 an hour, but they feel like they’re getting something deeper from the experience.
“I gain a sense of where art comes from,” Evans said. “I love to see people create and the techniques they use.”
Models also feel like they are helping artists improve their work.
“Every glance (of the artist) is like a footstep in the direction of accomplishing a goal, which is creating a piece of art,” Johnson said.
“I like to feel like I am mentoring the students in some way, by being a bit of a muse,” Haier added.