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2007 Auction - Breast Cancer Benefit

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Back in 2006 I took part in the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk, an event that raises money for breast cancer prevention. Walkers individually raise at least $2200 in order to participate and participation involves walking 20 miles a day for a total of 60 over the 3 day course. It was a grueling and rewarding experience! My only disappointment was I injured myself at the end of the first day and struggled throughout the second, having to take rides in the last day to finish. I experienced the best of humanity during the 3-Day and I eagerly signed up for the following year, determined to complete the entire 60 miles on my own 2 feet!

I wanted a more creative way to fund raise for the 2007 walk than just asking people for money. Loving to paint the human figure I thought it would be fun to do paintings of breasts and auction them off to benefit breasts! This evolved into paintings that celebrate whole, beautiful and healthy bodies, flush with the life and vitality we all deserve. In my conversations with survivors they tell me that one of the greatest tools they use is to visualize themselves as such...HEALTHY, VIBRANT, ALIVE!

In January of 2007 I embarked full tilt on this mission, set a goal to create 2 paintings a week and began lining up models. Working with the models became very meaningful because I used everyday women instead of professionals. Friends, acquaintances, referrals and outright strangers ranging from 18 to 60 years in age volunteered to pose and these sessions were fruitful and amazing. I was reminded of how empowered, beautiful and determined women are! Many of them thanked me afterwards for giving them the opportunity to feel vivid and attractive and I made sure to portray them in their most glorious aspect. For added amusement and to give a narrative to each canvas I named them after classic rock and roll songs. This energized many of my models and some even placed ‘dibs’ upon a certain song. I can’t say that I was successful in all of these paintings for like anything it became a learning process...but for the most part I think they were well received!

I held the auction at a nearby country club in October of 2007 (I was signed up for the San Diego walk in Nov). I had 29 nudes on display and 13 with a more general subject matter to broaden the interest. It was a lively and fun evening with most of my models in attendance. A few weeks prior I had met a professional hypnotist in a downtown nightclub and asked if he would provide the entertainment at the conclusion of the auction portion of the evening. **Hypno Bob was a big hit and we laughed until our sides ached with the antics of his volunteer victims! Oh...and BTW...I did finish the entire 60 miles that year as well as have a successful and memorable fund raiser!!

In the intervening years I have been meaning to once again sign up for the 3-Day...but so far obstacles have sprung up in my path. Some day I will participate again, but for now I have set another “huge vision” goal that is getting the bulk of my attention. I intend to take an extended road trip across the USA, painting FACE portraits along the way and raising money for a charity. The seeds of this project are still being planted...but I promise to reveal the details when the time is ripe!!

Please enjoy the photos below of the auction event and some of my art inspired from that year!

Find out more about my FACE PROJECT.
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**Bob’s services are available at www.hypnobob.net

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