GAVIN
	2 min gestures                             Hilde Lambrechts

Gavin enjoys being part of the creative process. Having occasionally modeled over the years for artist friends, since attending the OSA model training course in 2008, he has been proactive in pursuing modeling opportunities at schools and life drawing groups. Being married to an artist, he knows there is always a demand for good models, and Gavin aims for nothing less.

He is self-taught and studied a number of resources on the modeling profession. He finds inspiration in museums and galleries and has developed an eye for a great pose. He has built a great repertoire of unique poses, which are all very expressive and remarkable because of the strong hand work and intense gaze. They have meaning and therefore they would be excellent for animation work. Even in his long poses Gavin can be caught in action.

In his gestures he aims for a continuous progression of rotation and elevation to ensure maximum variety for his artists and introduces props for tension and interest. For his long poses he prefers standing, where he can project more energy and dynamism; he constantly strives to give the artist something that is not boring. He pays a lot of attention to remaining still, and therefore there is no danger of his dozing off or going blank.

The fact that Gavin is utterly still while maintaining both the gaze and emotional content of his poses makes him an excellent model, for whole figure and portrait work alike. It is not the physical strain on the body that he finds challenging, but the mental discipline of pushing his emotional boundaries. Doing just that has enriched him as a person, and the acquired self-confidence pays off in other activities as well.

Gavin is currently writing a guide for the aspiring life models out there. It is based on his own first experiences as a model and the knowledge he has acquired while educating himself.