Life Drawing

Karin Yun    

She was a man that loved tea                                   I (was) am an artist

that (liked) likes nudes                                             I drew half a woman (last night) tonight

I drew her soul (that was) a woman

 

I (was) am unusual                                                  I (was) am an artist that loves

volumes                                                                   I like(ed) her (in her Japanese robe))

to drink (drinking) tea

                                                                                (liked) like my (art) teacher

I measure                                                                 postures with a stick

She (teacher) says                                                     there are no errors only changes in thoughts ()

                                                                                         life is movement

                                                                                         put your eraser (pout (Eeyore)) away

Let me show you

[see note]

          first note:               that night I drew

                                        with the incandescent light on her skin

                                        a body of pillows on stage (that she set up)

                                        one arm (over the heart) raised on her hip

                                        other arm (across the leg) in the air

                                        a red Japanese robe draped on the hanger

                                        my hand (flew off) shading on the paper

                                        the shape of a navel (between my hands)

                                        the shape of the letter C is her (one) head

                                        (a heart of heads a heart in my right hand)

                                        my hand (flickering) grinding the pastels

                                        molding you

                                                                           soft skin, molding you,

                                                                           soft skin, molding you,

                                                                           soft skin, molding you,

[continue]

white pastels smoothed out becomes lips and skin

((newsprint) white paper pastel in (chalk and) sienna pastel in (chalk and) sienna)

(teacher) she says             don’t forget the hand is the size of one head

                                             the length of two heads foreshortening

            second note:          her belly (was) swelling

                                         the size of cantaloupes

                                         (tender buttons) two buttons

                                         round and darker than the rest

                                         tilting the hips

                                         pointing the tip of the foot like a ballerina

[continue]

(teacher) she says               step back — step back — straight line — draw with left hand

            third note:

                                          difficult poses are quick

                                          3 minute sketch

                               one leg pressed into chest

                                         other extended

                                         eyes closed

                                         lips soft

                                         mole on breast

                                         chin lifted

                               turned to the side

                                         arms resting like a bird’s wing

                                         bones beside bones

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