When I was first diagnosed with Parkinson's I would worry a lot about what people thought. If I got shaky in public or looked uncomfortable I would be constantly playing over in my head what I assumed people thought. But that's exhausting. And it had to change.
With Anne Claire Fleer
Anne-Claire had her own f---it moment a few years ago, quitting her job in finance to pursue a career in art. As a talented artist she loved her new existence and when a photographer friend suggested a collaboration painting on life models it clicked that people could be her canvas. She now paints people and photographs them regularly alongside her canvases.
I had no idea what to expect from the session and being over 2 hrs late (thanks London traffic!) I was a bit scattered but Anne-Claire was welcoming like an old friend and immediately put me at ease. We sat and chatted about the process and she showed me the piece of her art she hoped to mirror on my skin, an amazingly vivid abstract piece that would match my hair.
She suggested I prep my skin with body butter and she got the space ready for painting. And then we began, the first few strokes made me giggle because the paint was cold but I relaxed into it.
The most fun thing about the whole process was the fact that I couldn’t really see beyond the bits of skin close to me what it was looking like and how it was coming together. And I won’t be able to see it properly until the photographs she took are ready. I’m so excited about that.
I loved the session, not only because Anne-Claire is incredibly talented and her work is beautiful. But the process celebrates everything I now think about my body. I can look back now over the years and this, neck challenges aside, is me at the peak of my body confidence to date. This might seem strange to some people but over the years i've learned that my body is just a shell to carry around the good stuff inside.
This makes it the perfect canvas. Anne-Claire says the thing she loves most about painting on skin is the different textures, colours and tones, all the curves and angles
and mine in that sense definitely presents challenges. But that’s what makes me me.
***** UPDATE ***** The photos are here!
'New experiences lead to more curiosity which brings excitement and energy. My mission in life is to follow what gives you energy and I believe this wouldn't be possible if you wouldn't shake up life with new experiences once in a while!' Anne-Claire.