Last Saturday, I had a completely new and unexpected experience: I was invited to be a model for a portrait sketching session at Shu Art Studio 江書逸繪畫工作室 in Toufen, not far from where we live. The session was inspired by the works of Mary Cassatt, a 19th-century American Impressionist known for her soft and delicate portraits of women and children. The medium of the day was oil pastel, and I had the honor of being the muse for a group of adult art students.
When I first got the message from the studio, I honestly thought it might be a scam 😅. But the invitation was warm, personal, and even mentioned my desserts (which made it sound more real and sweet!). They even encouraged me to visit the studio beforehand if I felt unsure. After chatting a bit more and checking things out, I agreed and I’m so glad I did.
The session ran from 1:30 to 4:30 PM, including setup and breaks, so the actual modeling time was about 1.5 to 2 hours. There were breaks (thankfully!), but still—it’s not as easy as it sounds to sit still and be observed from all angles while trying to look “natural.” I’ve been on TV before, I’ve done a YouTube interview, and I’ve joined a few other events, so you'd think I’d be used to being around people or even in front of a camera. But this felt different... more intimate, and honestly, more intense. I kept thinking, this time all eyes are literally on me! 😅
I thought I was smiling most of the time, but based on the finished artworks… my face looked quite serious! Maybe that’s just my focused face? 🤭 Some students used pastels, while others used pencil to create black-and-white portraits. I ended up loving those simple, classic sketches the most. One of them especially stood out to me - it had this soft, quiet feel. The artist was a young woman who seemed pretty shy, and I felt like she didn’t want her work shared publicly. But she kindly let me take her sketch home, along with two other people. Now I have three beautiful portraits of myself, made by strangers with different eyes and different styles. It’s such a surreal and touching thing to keep.
The portrait sessions were broken into 25-minute blocks with 5-minute breaks in between. Surprisingly, just sitting still was quite tiring. I started feeling some back and neck pain from trying to keep a good posture and not move. There were also quite a few bright lights around, which made my sensitive eyes tear up a bit 😅.
The main artist who created the pastel portrait of me had studied in Spain before - which I found really impressive. His sister is also an artist and works with ceramics. We saw some of her handmade cups and plates, and they looked beautiful, really elegant and well-crafted.
My husband and son also stayed at the studio, since they didn’t have much to do on a hot afternoon. Our son was given some paper and pastels, and he created his own little artwork. I was a bit worried at first that he might cause trouble, but he actually sat quietly, didn’t bother anyone, and behaved really well. At one point, I even thought my husband and son had left, because it was so quiet and I hadn’t seen them for a while—but it turned out they were just exploring another room that’s actually dedicated for kids to make art. Such a nice surprise!
And that’s not the end! Shu Art Studio and I are planning another collaboration soon. Next Saturday, they’re hosting a small art talk event, and I’ll be preparing some cakes and cookies for the group of around 20 people. I love how naturally this is turning into a mix of art, people, and my favorite thing - baking.
If you’re around Toufen and feel curious about art (or desserts 😉), Shu Art Studio is a hidden gem worth checking out. I never expected to find myself sitting as a model for a group of artists on a quiet Saturday afternoon, but I’m really grateful I said yes. It’s one of those experiences that stay with you - not loud or dramatic, just quietly special.
Very nice.
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