Learning from Paint and Nudity, Day 89

Born by a clashing combination of my father raised as a bit of a hippie on Long Island and my inherently conservative-leaning mother from very far upstate New York, I should have anticipated finding this photo of me watching my back at the Naked Painting Party last night.  Invited to the event at last month’s Obliterati party by photographer Nick McGlynn, I have looked forward to it for at least a couple of weeks as a way to challenge my barriers a bit and have some fun.  I invited some friends, bought a cheap Target bikini for my canvas (not taking off more layers at a press-happy party), and donned my least favorite outfit that would still look nice enough to network a little at the earlier AOL Blogger Party.

After grabbing a little extremely yummy Mac and Cheese (yes, I needed someone to talk me into eating before likely appearing in bikini-clad photos), Nick, Spanish Rob and I headed to Gallery Bar for the main event.  Hosted by Sally Golan, her company Social Exposure Media charged a cover and although I generally try to avoid parties for which I have to pay, the money went toward funding fellow artists to produce an Indie comedy/web series and included an hour-long open bar.  In all fairness, Sally seemed as shocked and amused as me by the first person I saw that evening with most of his clothes removed.  After literally hanging out for a moment with this actually great and funny guy, none of the full frontal nudity pervading the party surprised me much at all.

What did surprise me (links may contain nudity)?

• Men of all sizes and shapes let it all hang out, both belly and otherwise (truly all sizes)
• Photographers braved bringing equipment into the paint storm (my white purse didn’t even escape without paint from coat check!).
• At least one man went beyond willing to experience extreme thong action.
• Most of the women had fit or skinny bodies and perky breasts (a NYC phenomenon, no doubt).
• More than one man arrived in costume.
• Orange and red body paint?  Not so fun to remove in the shower.
• I seemed to have the only strict rule set at a naked party – only Lost-themed art, please!

In all, I learned more about myself in attending this event than expected, without a doubt.  Although hard to admit, I have adopted a small bit of my mother’s conservatism, which undoubtedly gives her joy as she reads that I never did strip out of my bikini to join some of the other fully nude or topless women scattered throughout Gallery Bar.  Of course, no matter my comfort level with nudity, disclaimers of cameras and plenty of press pose a different dilemma entirely.  Even posting the photos of myself in a bikini to Facebook this afternoon took a little extra gumption on my part as someone who sees models walking around her city on a daily basis.  So thank you Nick McGlynn for inviting me and Sally Golan for hosting this party that drew me a little further out of my comfort zone last night.  After all, I did look pretty good in that bikini, and my friends and their Lost-inspired artwork definitely made me smile.