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Leona Honey by Albert Varin
Contributor Albert Varin has dressed the set of Leona Honey’s debut Metart gallery in a narrow range of earth tones from light beige to medium brown. A full-length mirror in an elaborate frame plays a major role, and a Persian rug provides a hint of color as well as added comfort when the model chooses to pose on it. The model’s coloring is complemented by the colors employed in the set design, but I wonder if a bit of additional contrast would have added some visual snap to “Presenting.”
And Leona Honey has chosen a particularly appropriate pseudonym. She has a sweet and inviting smile, her slender and shapely build is tempting, and the personality her finely featured face projects is warm and welcoming. If this is Ms. Honey’s first nude modeling experience — as well it might be for a mere 19-year-old — she does an admirable job. And, on top of all that, the name Honey harmonizes well with the art direction.
Barefoot and wearing only a single item of clothing — a filmy black dress with sheer black sleeves — Leona is as comfortable clothed as she is completely nude. In my notes I’ve called out several “nothing showing” shots that are visually pleasing and which offer tantalizing flashes of personality (#008 includes a bit of playful peek-a-boo with the mirror, for example). Varin takes care to include detail shots — succulent close-ups of Leona’s glistening intimate goodies like #050 or #090, as well as a study of her pert breasts reflected in the mirror, and even #098, a study of the soles of her feet. There are some exceptional headshots, as well, and they do a fine job of capturing Leona Honey’s refined features, golden hair, and dark eyes (see #001, #107, and #112 for three examples). Fans of Mr. Varin are treated to a glimpse of the artist at work in #022, the unintended consequence of employing a mirror as a principle prop.
I’ll close with mention of a flaw as well a favorite image, for balance. Varin has experimented with some image editing in several shots here (including the photo that illustrates this post, above). This seems somewhat odd in view of the sets already limited chromatic range. Is a sepia tone effect really necessary when the set is already shot through with sepia tones? But in a highlight in “Presenting” like #106 it all comes together perfectly — the art direction and composition work together to enhance and flatter the model. And the model, physically beautiful and emotionally charming, delights both the eyes and the senses. How sweet is that?
Gallery: Presenting Leona Honey
Art Nude Models: Met Art information.
