THE PROJECTS BEGINNINGS
I came upon an instagram story that inspired me for a photoshoot and from there I started to put together a “mood board” on Pinterest to pull my ideas together. It wasn’t too long after that the cogs started to whir……
Some years ago I joked that I would cover myself in paint and imprint my boobs onto canvas. I never did it. Why not? Probably because I always found myself saying “when I’ve lost weight”, or “I’m not sexy enough”, or pretty enough, or something else ‘not enough’. I know many of us beat ourselves up with self doubt and a lack of self love. Well you know what, I AM ENOUGH! And SO TOO ARE YOU - with that I reached out to many of the women I know to rope them into something that is fast becoming what I hope will be a fun project and if we can bring some awareness to the importance of self love, empowerment, positive body image and good mental health then bravo to us all! At worst hopefully we have had a bit of a laugh and a whole lot of fun. There certainly could be worse outcomes.
I only exclude the boys from this as it’s something I’d like to experience with all the amazingly strong and beautiful women in my life. The ones I stand by and support, the ones they stand by and support and the ones who do the same for us. Based on the look my husband Jason gave me when I tried to explain this concept to him I’d say the boys are probably happy to be left out of it (at least for now). There are a number of us going through something currently - cancer, depression, anxiety, marriage difficulties, the stress of raising kids with difficulties….the list goes on. Coming together to create this great art piece means bringing us all together directly or indirectly and that can’t be a bad thing.
So why did I want a photoshoot in the first place. Firstly I’m very good at avoiding a camera - for the the points mentioned above. When I die I’d like there to be some evidence of my existence so I'm making an effort to be in photos instead of running a mile. But also because just lately I’ve seen first hand just how empowering a good photoshoot can be. It can be great for the self esteem, it can provide wonderful memories and it will provide me with some great brand photos as I intend to have paint and rollers and brushes etc as part of my shoot. If I can share this experience, brings friends together and raise some money in the process then BLOODY BRILLIANT I say.
I’m not political in anyway, far from an activist and apart from a few small donations each year I really don’t do anything to raise awareness. I’m not sure what this project will bring which is why it is based on fun. It is from the foundation of fun I hope to build more.
So this is the concept to date:
Stage 1:
I will put down a base cost on a large backdrop and women of all shapes and sizes and places in life will come and make their mark upon the canvas. Using body paint they will imprint as little as a fingerprint through to their entire body. At this stage I will ask participants to give me a word, a quote or a story about what body positivity and mental health means to them.
Stage 2:
I will have my photoshoot in front of the body imprint backdrop. I intend on having a very paint orientated shoot - I’m going to get messy. Interested participants will also have their own shoot, whether it be in front of the backdrop or another of their choice, and in a manner of their choosing.
Stage 3:
We will auction off the backdrop and keep fingers crossed for a decent outcome. We will also capture photo’s of the journey and combine them into a photo book along with the comments/stories provided - a calendar has also been suggested. All proceeds will go to charity. Charity or charities are yet to be determined but this will all be very transparent.
I anticipate this may take up to 6 months to reach conclusion.
Don't hesitate to follow the instagram page @beneathyourcanvas or email me with ideas/suggestions/your own story, or just to chat.
I hope you enjoy this crazy experience as much as I hope to.
Cheers
Michelle Barton