This month, we draw inspiration from one of the most iconic bodies of work in Western art: Edgar Degas and his ballerinas. Where other Impressionists turned outward to landscapes and the open, Degas turned indoors to his subjects in the rehearsal hall and backstage. He devoted more than fifty years to the subject – experimenting constantly, layering and blending his pastels, and even his own fingerprints to render the shimmer of a tutu and a body in motion.

As if taking you backstage before a performance, our costumed model will be posed in the same spirit of a ballerina. Whether you choose to emulate the delicate layering of Degas’s pastel technique, tackle a full-figure composition, or focus on a portrait study, this is an opportunity to work from life with one of art history’s most studied subjects as your guide.