Today I modelled at ‘The Poetry School’ in Lambeth and inspired poems instead of pictures, aided by the imaginative props of Pascale Petit, the poet facilitating.
I held a conch; lay on a sofa my body covered in star fish; created a dance to the rhythm of the sea as I waved sea fans, was dressed up as an owl woman (mask and owl faces stuck on me), and beheld a Chinese deer skull. All in all a bit different and delightful to hear the results. I am hoping that people from the class will get in touch with their poems so I may include them here.
This image was the original inspiration which Petit recreated with me.
Some poems & images have made their way to me, I’m really happy to share them 🙂
Earlier in the week I hooked up with Barbie AKA Wench who will be participating in Spirited Bodies 3. She is an appliance engineer at British Gas who is hoping to quit her job soon; art is calling her! She creates cartoon characters including one of herself.
A tall plus-size woman, she thinks modelling may supplement her art career. She never had art classes when she was growing up, and her family were constantly on the move, across the US mainly. So she has taught herself from way back. As a child in Georgia, in the middle of nowhere, there were no art shops, and sometimes a scarcity of resources. She recalls shaving off her hair one time so that she had a place to draw.
Of Spirited Bodies, Wench says “I’m looking forward to it. It sounds absolutely bonkers.” I couldn’t agree more.
Spirited Bodies 
Oooh, I LOVE the idea of poses inspiring poetry. I know a lot of prose writers who aren’t nearly as in touch with their senses — visual included — as they should be, though poets tend to be closer to these experiences. I’d love to see the inspired poems if you ever get any to share!
A couple of the poet/artists have contacted me via facebook to share and it is really nice to read/see them – both of them wrote and drew. I may find a way to attach them here, or else find me on facebook with my name Esther Bunting. It was a brilliant new experience for us all and I’d love to do that kind of thing more often
So I put some of them on the post!
Thank you to you and the artists and poets for sharing!!! Oh, I’m so delighted to see these. As a visual/text person these feel very natural to me. I love them!
The poetry & images are beautiful and very soul-touching. 🙂
Wench sounds like a superb Spirited Body – its going to have a great vibe, i can tell, what with the enthusiasm from Susie, Megan, Julian and Erik. & who knows who else will step up for the experience by the time we get there?