NYC art-school models: Donna

Donna, 61, Upper East Side. Models at Pratt, Pace, Marymount Manhattan College, Hunter College, Pastel Society of America.

How did you first get into modeling?
I was doing odd jobs, and this guy suggested I call this man who was looking for models. He said, “I hope you don’t mind, it’s nude modeling.” I said, “How bad can it be?” That was twelve years ago.

You’ve been doing this for a while. Why do you think there’s such high turnover?
There are so many models that just stand there with their hand on their hip and think that’s a pose. They think it’s a glamorous job. Figure modeling doesn’t pay much—anywhere from $10 to $20 an hour. When I first started 40 years ago, we made $50 a week.

Have you had any out-of-the-ordinary experiences with other models?
I was modeling with this gentleman and I smelled poop. The man was sitting in the chair and got up, and I sat in his feces. I said, “Listen you have to clean this up! If you’re having a problem, you have to tell me.” He said, “It’s something you have to expect.” Since then I’ve schlepped my own pillow and cloth with me everywhere. Have you encountered the model with the tattoos?

What kind of tattoos?
Her whole vajajay was a bald eagle!

What your goal as a model?
To see a painting of myself in a museum. It’s a little embarrassing when my superintendent sees a nude of me on my wall, but it makes me very happy when I see myself in a show or I hear that a painting of me has sold.

What do you do when you’re not posing?
I recently directed a play called The Banana and Kiwi Murders, in which aliens took over a banana and a kiwi, and fruit killed people and then took over their bodies.

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