64 Models With Their Art by Miguel Angel Reyes

The relationship between artists and their models is intimate and based on trust. Miguel has a very easygoing nature, and his models tend to relax and get into the "zone" very quickly. He also has a great eye for faces and figures that will inspire both him and his students.

Miguel is a longtime contributor of both his photography and artwork to The Advocate. While we have focused more on his event photography in the last few years, we built our relationship with his illustrations.

Miguel Angel Reyes immigrated to the U.S. with his family from Colima, Mexico, in 1975. He received his BFA from Otis Art Institute/Parsons School of Design. In 1995, he completed he completed a 750-foot mural, one of the largest mural projects in Los Angeles, at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle Street, titled Amistades (Friendships). It was commissioned by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The mural was removed with the opening of the Hollywood segment of the Red Line in 1999.

Reyes has had 15 solo exhibits and has been featured in over a hundred group shows throughout the United States, Mexico, Europe, and Asia since 1989. He has also shown in major museums.

As a regular contributor to a range of causes such as Project Angel Food, Self-Help Graphics, and Central America Resource Center, he donates not only artwork but also his time and experience. He currently is instructor of model drawing in the Fashion Department of the Otis College of Art.

Miguel will be at the Tom of Finland Arts and Cultural Festival October 6-7, including a live model drawing session from noon to 2 p.m. See more about Miguel on his Facebook page.