Dear DOMAI,

I have been drawing and painting for the last five years and find it a wonderful hobby, I can't think of anything more appealing than the human figure so that has been the area I have concentrated on. My art has had a major impact on my life.

I broke my neck playing football at age 19 and have been in a wheelchair since then. My self confidence and self esteem suffered to an enormous degree and I didn't real socialize much in my twenties. It was hard to watch all my friends from school falling in and out of relationships and mostly getting married and having kids. By my early thirties I realized I had to do something more than work all week and then spend the weekend alone working on my computer. At the same time my sister had to teach art to her school pupils and so she practiced on me over the summer holidays and by the end of which I was totally hooked. A few more months practice gave me the confidence to go to my first life drawing class where to my delight I realized I wasn't the worst and I found how outrageously I enjoyed the opportunity of observing the gorgeous models.

At this time I would discuss my drawing with my librarian at work who took an interest in how I was coming along. One week I was moaning about only being able to practice once a week when she suggested she could model. I wasn't sure I had heard correctly so foolishly dismissed it, but then, luckily for me, she offered again a couple of weeks later and this time I didn't hesitate in taking her up.

So I went from boring weekends alone or with my equally boring male friends watching sport on the TV to spending a couple of hours with my totally drop-dead gorgeous librarian in the buff, talking, drinking coffee and staring at her. It indescribably changed my life, gave me confidence, a creative outlet and changed my social circle from computer nerds to art types. My skills increased and I worked very hard and I found that most of my female friends, when they knew how serious I was about the art, had no problems "nudeing up" for me.

Eventually, 3 years ago now, a professional model I had hired for a particular painting stayed, we got together, she moved in and now we are married.

All thanks to a search for beauty and self esteem.

Thanks again for a great website.

Cheers, Brett

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Fine art nudes © Andrey Slastyonoff and Sergey Babenko.