by the shoulder to bring her back to this reality. She must have been deeply into her meditative state because it took a few minutes before she came back to us.
“Was that what you wanted, Roger?” she asked.
“My dear, you were wonderful !” he enthused. “You could give lessons to a rock ! I didn’t see even a hair twitch. I wish all my models were like you. We’ll have a coffee, do another session and then call it a day. I’m so excited about this partnership of ours. I’ve so many ideas for paintings with you swirling around in my brain. It’s going to be fabulous !”
We had our coffee and some more of Maria’s tea cake, complete with more Fluff begging, and started another sketching session. Kim went into her trance state once more and Roger busily occupied himself at the easel. I sat in the background, frankly bored to tears. Simon strictly forbade any movement or talking on my part as he said it interfered with his concentration and I had to content myself with looking around the studio – an occupation that quickly palled after the first ten minutes. This was going to be the last time I’d accompany Kim to these sessions, I vowed. After what seemed to be an eternity, Roger pronounced himself satisfied and I shook Kim back to wakefulness once more. I was curious to see the progress Roger had made and asked him to show his sketch. He was a little reluctant, saying that it was still too early but eventually allowed us to view what he’d done. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, never having seen a painting in the process of being created before, but was astonished at how little had been accomplished. I mean, in two hours I would have expected the canvas to be at least full of drawing, but it wasn’t. On the other hand, what presented itself was indisputably Kim. He’d captured her perfectly – the tilt of her head; the little smile she wore while she was daydreaming; her perfect features; the graceful hands – it was all there in the sweep of the lines and the cunning shading.
“Roger,” I praised, “this is brilliant. You’re a genius !”
“Hardly,” he grimaced. “Every time I look at what I’ve done, I always see what I haven’t managed to do. I’m never satisfied. It drives me crazy.” He shrugged. “But, hey, what can you do?” He took Kim’s hands in his and patted them. “Kim, my lovely, you were marvellous!” he complimented. “Same time tomorrow?”
“For sure,” Kim agreed, still looking at the drawing. “Is that really me?”
“Of course not,” Roger said, steering her towards the door. “The real you is much more beautiful than can be rendered by mere charcoal lines. I want to capture your inner fire as well. That’s what the next session will be all about. Now, go home and rest that lovely self of yours. We don’t want dark rings under the eyes, now do we? It’d spoil everything.”
Chapter 3.
- My turn at the controls, I believe.
- Why?
- Um, I’m not sure really. I have this gut feeling, that’s all.
- Oh, so now you’re psychic?
- I could be. I’ve never been tested.
-Yes, I’d say that some sort of a test is long overdue.
- Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there?
- Just a hint ? My word, you are psychic!
- Shut up.
Paul refused to accompany me to the next session, saying that the whole procedure sent him to sleep. I couldn’t blame him. It must have been absolutely mind-numbing for him to sit there for hours with nothing to do. When I was in the middle of the meditation thing, I was totally out of it and only vaguely aware of my surroundings. I wasn’t quite sleeping but also wasn’t exactly focused in this reality either. It was sort of a dreamlike state and very peaceful. I should really be doing it more often because it was so relaxing, and here I was being paid to do it.
We had two sittings that day and Roger began to actually paint the portrait in the second one. I was still surprised at my likeness as shown on the
“Was that what you wanted, Roger?” she asked.
“My dear, you were wonderful !” he enthused. “You could give lessons to a rock ! I didn’t see even a hair twitch. I wish all my models were like you. We’ll have a coffee, do another session and then call it a day. I’m so excited about this partnership of ours. I’ve so many ideas for paintings with you swirling around in my brain. It’s going to be fabulous !”
We had our coffee and some more of Maria’s tea cake, complete with more Fluff begging, and started another sketching session. Kim went into her trance state once more and Roger busily occupied himself at the easel. I sat in the background, frankly bored to tears. Simon strictly forbade any movement or talking on my part as he said it interfered with his concentration and I had to content myself with looking around the studio – an occupation that quickly palled after the first ten minutes. This was going to be the last time I’d accompany Kim to these sessions, I vowed. After what seemed to be an eternity, Roger pronounced himself satisfied and I shook Kim back to wakefulness once more. I was curious to see the progress Roger had made and asked him to show his sketch. He was a little reluctant, saying that it was still too early but eventually allowed us to view what he’d done. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, never having seen a painting in the process of being created before, but was astonished at how little had been accomplished. I mean, in two hours I would have expected the canvas to be at least full of drawing, but it wasn’t. On the other hand, what presented itself was indisputably Kim. He’d captured her perfectly – the tilt of her head; the little smile she wore while she was daydreaming; her perfect features; the graceful hands – it was all there in the sweep of the lines and the cunning shading.
“Roger,” I praised, “this is brilliant. You’re a genius !”
“Hardly,” he grimaced. “Every time I look at what I’ve done, I always see what I haven’t managed to do. I’m never satisfied. It drives me crazy.” He shrugged. “But, hey, what can you do?” He took Kim’s hands in his and patted them. “Kim, my lovely, you were marvellous!” he complimented. “Same time tomorrow?”
“For sure,” Kim agreed, still looking at the drawing. “Is that really me?”
“Of course not,” Roger said, steering her towards the door. “The real you is much more beautiful than can be rendered by mere charcoal lines. I want to capture your inner fire as well. That’s what the next session will be all about. Now, go home and rest that lovely self of yours. We don’t want dark rings under the eyes, now do we? It’d spoil everything.”
Chapter 3.
- My turn at the controls, I believe.
- Why?
- Um, I’m not sure really. I have this gut feeling, that’s all.
- Oh, so now you’re psychic?
- I could be. I’ve never been tested.
-Yes, I’d say that some sort of a test is long overdue.
- Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there?
- Just a hint ? My word, you are psychic!
- Shut up.
Paul refused to accompany me to the next session, saying that the whole procedure sent him to sleep. I couldn’t blame him. It must have been absolutely mind-numbing for him to sit there for hours with nothing to do. When I was in the middle of the meditation thing, I was totally out of it and only vaguely aware of my surroundings. I wasn’t quite sleeping but also wasn’t exactly focused in this reality either. It was sort of a dreamlike state and very peaceful. I should really be doing it more often because it was so relaxing, and here I was being paid to do it.
We had two sittings that day and Roger began to actually paint the portrait in the second one. I was still surprised at my likeness as shown on the
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