Body Painting: People as Canvas

Body painting and tattoos are as ubiquitous among nudists as are the hot tub and the horseshoe toss. In this first installment, we explore body painting. What is it about body painting that’s so attractive? We asked two very different body paint artists for their opinion. One is Dewayne Flowers, a recognized “bodyartist” based in Columbus, Georgia USA, the other is Rick Mills, a more traditional body painter from Shrewsbury, England. For Flowers, body painting is his art, and this is clearly evident when you see photographs of his extraordinary work. For Mills, it’s more of a hobby, not something he makes money from, although he agrees it’s a form of art, particularly with regards to “trompe-l’oeil” body painting such as that done by Joanne Gair (or Flowers, for that matter), he told us. Read on to learn more about this fascinating topic…

According to Flowers, body painting is a more challenging art form: “You have to start and finish a bodypainting no matter how simple or complex…An artist can walk away from his or her work in another medium and return later with fresh hands and eyes. Body artists have to stay with their work until it’s complete. I have spent 10 hours on one painting before, the model and I, that is”. He also added that in just the last few years, it’s gained acceptance as an art form, thanks in great part to the internet.
We asked both why they thought body painting had so much appeal to naturists. Mills replied that “it’s a fun thing to try if you are naked; it’s something you can do with friends; it feels nice to be painted”, while Flowers was more analytical, saying that “it’s a way for them to express themselves the way others do with clothing and still retain the nudity of their lifestyle”.
Both bodyartists are cautious about what paints they use on their models, Flowers even using himself as a test subject for new paints: “If I have a red arm after a test, i know not to use it”. Paints are water-based in general.
Mills participated in several body painting competitions, both in the UK and Austria. Flowers hasn’t thus far, but is considering it. Mills did win a big prize from body painting: his wife! They met in Birmingham, UK, while he was painted-up as the devil (a sly one, we reckon!)
The photo above is one of Flowers’ stunning works, and he told us that a security guard came by, asking what he was doing there. Flowers answered him that he was just taking photos of the brick wall. The guard left, satisfied. “He never saw the nude woman standing there”, he tells us.
An abundance of photos are found on both these artists’ sites, just follow the links below…

Related Links: