In Praise of Skinny Men

Y'know the lower back "dimples" a lot of people have?  I have recently realized that they are actually the spot where a person's ass-muscles meet their back muscles.  Each ass-cheek is roughly teardrop-shaped, and the muscles around the lower spine are kinda V-shaped, so they dovetail - with a little dent in-between.

I didn't learn this from an anatomy textbook, by the way.  I learned it by ogling The Boy, who is so slender that I can clearly see every single muscle (and most of the tendons, and many of the bones) on his body.  I've learned more about how the human body is built from watching him walk around naked than I ever did from the anatomical diagrams in art class.  He is truly an artist's dream come true.

But also?  He's my dream come true.  I've been attracted to greyhound-skinny dudes for as long as I can remember, and The Boy is a perfect example of my ideal physical "type".  You guys, when I wrap my hand around his ankle my finger and thumb touch.  MRRRRRROWWWWR.

Anyhoo.  For quite some time now I've been planning to paint a series of "pin-up boys" - that is, men striking typically female poses (and sometimes wearing typically female clothes, too).  These men will of course be skinny and slightly effeminate, because if I'm gonna spend ten hours painting something I want it to be fun for me.  The "pin-up boy" concept is my way of playing around with gender roles and hopefully inspiring some discussion.  It's also my way of of addressing the distinct lack of hot, objectifying images of guys in pop culture*.

I finished the first painting in the series yesterday.  Naturally, The Boy was my model.  Ever wondered what he looks like (naked)?  Here you go:

Normally he's not so red, though.  Or horny.

I should be painting more pin-up boys really soon.  And, once I figure out the best way to photograph these paintings (this one is 8"x10"), I'll put them up for sale in the "Androgyny and Kink" section of my Artfire store...and post here to let you know they're up!

So, if you dig pictures of skinny, twinky, androgynous boys striking submissive poses for your pleasure...keep an eye on this space. :D

*Read: "I can't find porn that suits my needs so I'm gonna make my own."

Shoutout Sunday: Jane Duncan

Today I'll be talking about another artist whose work I saw at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition: Jane Duncan.

As soon as I walked into Duncan's booth I was mesmerized by her big paintings of trophies (check out the series yourself by clicking the "Trophy Lovers" link on her website!).  The trophy figures are depicted in ironic and sometimes hilarious configurations, but to be honest at the time I was too mesmerized by the technical prowess displayed in the paintings to fully perceive their content.

Duncan's trophy paintings put me into a full-on "OOOH SHINY" trance - even though they are not actually shiny.  Her painterly rendering of metal is just that good.  And I really want to know how she gets her colours to sizzle like that!  The paintings have a searing, radiant glow that I wouldn't have thought possible - and I say this as someone intimately familiar with fluorescent paint, metallic paint, and glitter. 

Now that I'm at home on my laptop and not distracted by OMG big bright shiny painting in the sun OMG, I'm able to appreciate the trophy paintings for their subject matter, too (two golden figurines doin' it missionary style!  A golden lady with her golden dog!).  I'm also able to tear myself away from the shiny and check out Duncan's other series, Foes and Follies.  These are beautifully rendered depictions of children's toys, set up in tableaux as though children had just finished (or started?) playing with them.  Why did these hypothetical children arrange the toys like that?  What kind of game were they playing, and why did they stop playing it?  That's up to the viewer to decide.

Jane Duncan's website is here if you'd like to see pictures of her work or find out where to see it in person...and if you like what you see but don't have the budget to buy an original painting, you can buy one of her art books here or here!