American Olympic swimming champion Natalie Coughlin recently posed for 11 hours to have her body painted for the 2012 annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. She told USA Today that “It feels like something in between a swimsuit — and being naked.”

What Natalie might not realize is that she is simply one participant in an art form which is likely the oldest and most traditional in human history – body painting. This year nudists and naturists everywhere are invited to participate in AANR’s Amazing Canvas Nudist Face and Body Painting Event during Nude Recreation Week, to celebrate the human body as the ultimate art form.

Unlike tattoos, body paint is temporary, applied directly on the human skin, lasting for only several hours, or up to a couple of weeks if using henna. Sometimes the entire body is used as a the canvas, and sometimes only the face, hands, back or chest are decorated.

Body painting possibly predates cave drawings by hundreds of thousands of years. Covering themselves with painting materials made from ochre or manganese dioxide, early humans decorated their bodies for tribal rituals as a means to bring themselves together collectively. These practices continue today among the indigenous peoples of Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and part of Africa. Face painting also goes back to Neanderthal times for hunting, religious reasons, and for military purposes such as camouflage, or expression of brotherhood.

Modern body painting is said to have been born at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago, where Max Factor and his model were arrested for causing a public disturbance. Factor was demonstrating his new make-up formulated for Hollywood movies through the art of body painting.

In the 1950s and 60s there was an art movement which involved covering a model in paint, and then having the model touch or roll on a canvas to transfer the colors. 1960s Supermodel Veruschka has been the muse for many body painting artists. In 1992, artist Joanne Gair rose to fame through her work on actor Demi Moore, who appeared in her “birthday suit” on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine. Today the animal rights group PETA uses body painted models as a means of political protest.

Fine art examples of body painting include the use of body painting as performance art by Sacramento galleries, The Painted Alive gallery in New Orleans which is dedicated exclusively to body painting, artist Danny Setiawan who reproduces famous artworks by Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh and Gustav Klimt on human bodies, and New York artist Andy Golub who works his abstract magic on nude models out in public in Times Square.

Commercially, other than the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, body painting can be seen regularly in television commercials, movies (especially science fiction), billboards, magazine advertisements, and there is even a publication Illusion Magazine dedicated to showcasing the art form around the world. The World Bodypainting Festival in Portschach, Austria, is the largest in the world, drawing thousands of visitors to admire the beautiful creations. There are also several festivals which take place in North America, such as the North American Body Painting Championship in Orlando, Florida; the Bodygras Body Painting Competition in Nanaimo, British Columbia; and the Face Painting and Body Art Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Pillow Book, a 1996 film by Peter Greenaway, revolves around body painting.

In sports, there is hardly an event on television, from colleges to the pros, where fans are not painted with their team’s colors, often spelling out words of encouragement or fellowship in support of the athletes.  The World Cup of Soccer tends to be a showcase for creative body painters, and for the 2006 matches in Berlin, women shared topfree equality with men. And what would professional wrestling be without the costumes and painted faces?

Face painting emerged into our popular culture with the flower children of the 60s, and is a staple at county fairs, open-air markets, children’s parties, theme parks, festivals, and just about any event attended by people of all ages. Can you imagine a circus without brightly painted clowns, or a Halloween without scary face-painted zombies and ghouls coming to your door to beg for treats?

The theater is also another mainstream example of face painting, or make-up, from the fantastical creations in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats,” to the elaborate face designs in Japanese Kabuki dance-drama.

Today, there are many examples of people using body painting as a collective means of expression, such as in the World Naked Bike Ride where people use their bodies as billboards for promoting environmental causes. The Sydney Body Art Ride raises money to fight cancer in children, and holds two world records for the largest group of fully painted people, and the largest group of painted people on bicycles. In the Fremont Solstice Parade, which takes place annually in Seattle, Washington, free-spirited cyclists strip down and paint their bodies and ride in view of 100,000 spectators, all to raise money to help end poverty.

The Bare to Breakers event in San Francisco features nude and body painted runners to promote the acceptance of nudity in public. In Columbus, Ohio, where women have the legal right to be topfree, the annual Comfest event in a public park features thousands of men, women and children, many with their bodies and faces painted with festive flowers, butterflies, peace symbols and other designs inspired by the hippie culture of the 1960s. Fantasy Fest in Key West, Florida, and Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana, would not be the same without the colorful, body painted celebrants who proudly display their creations in public.

Of course, body painting is a traditional activity found in nudist and naturist gatherings. Venues like Lake Como and Sunsport Gardens in Florida often bring in professional body painters to decorate the members and guests. Stephane Deschanes, one of the most respected spokespersons for naturism, includes body painting as a regular event at Bare Oaks Park in Ontario. The Naturist Society promotes body painting for both children and adults at its Gatherings and Festivals, and the clothing-optional section of Haulover Beach in Miami is often a spot for colorfully painted people. Face and body painting is a regular nudist activity around the world, including the United Kingdom, France, Croatia, Australia, and Russia, among others.

Face and body painting supplies can be purchased from dozens of retailers online, and can be found in family stores such as Target and Walmart.  Crayola markets body paint products for children, including Bathtub Body Doodles, Quick and Easy Henna Body Art Kit, Face Painting Kit, and Washable Markers. Silly Farm  has an amazing selection of face and body art for all ages.

On July 14, 2012, the American Association for Nude Recreation invites you to participate in our first Amazing Canvas Nudist Face and Body Painting Event. Full details can be found as they happen on AANR.com. We look forward to this great event, a continuation of the longest known art form in human history, the ultimate expression of the beauty of the human body.

Information in the article was taken from the following sources:

The Other Paper

Sunsport Gardens

USA Today

Wikipedia

Photo courtesy of Chet Kresiak.

Entries of best amateur and best professional bodypainting from each location will be sent to AANR for judging and will also appear on the AANR website so visitors to AANR.com can be judges as well. A list of participating locations will be posted on this page of the AANR website prior to the event, similar to the AANR World Record Skinny-Dip.

Stay tuned for details and deadlines, coming soon!

The May issue of The Bulletin (in the year of the election) will include the profiles of the candidates running for office. All candidates have the opportunity to submit a candidate profile, candidate statement, and photograph for The Bulletin and for placement in the Elections Forum on the AANR website. Because space is limited, there are specific guidelines to follow. All information submitted must be typewritten, and your daytime phone number should accompany the information in case The Bulletin editor has questions.

Required Information

Name:

Home club/associate:

Credentials (Your responses must total no more than 100 words.)

AANR/regional/club offices held: Other not-for-profit board experience:

Business/background experience applicable to position sought:

Length of AANR membership:

Educational background:

Candidate Statement

Your statement must be no more than 100 words in length.

Candidate Photograph

Your photograph should either be a film print (not a digital printout) or a digital file (jpg, eps, or tiff), at least 4×6 inches, 250 dpi.

Please carefully review your profile before submitting it to The Bulletin. No corrections will be made by AANR or The Bulletin staff. Profiles and photos can be submitted either by mail to: Editor, The Bulletin, 1703 N. Main Street, Kissimmee, FL 34744, or via e-mail to: editor@aanr.com.

We will attempt to acknowledge receipt of your candidate submission, but we recommend that you follow up with a phone call to make sure your material has been received.

Questions? Please call The Bulletin editor at 800/879-6833, ext. 235.

Deadline: March 22. No late submissions will be accepted.

The New England Patriots and the New York Giants will meet in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis on Sunday February 5th. Of course nudists just like everyone else around the world love going to Super Bowl parties. It’s just that nudist parties are much more fun.

Here are the top 10 reasons why you should go to a nudist Super Bowl Party this year

1) Wardrobe malfunctions are greatly encouraged

2) No need to buy a Patriots or Giants football jersey. Just body paint one on

3) The pizza delivery person always arrives at nudist parties first

4) Impossible to lose your shirt betting on the outcome of the game.

5) Everyone at the party gets to be a naked cheerleader

6) Easy to clean salsa off your front when you cheer a touchdown

7) Don’t have to pay airline luggage fees going to your favorite warm weather nudist resort Super Bowl Party

Ordering a Full Monty cocktail makes more sense at a nudist football party

9) No need to attend the Bud Light Pregame party featuring Barenaked Ladies, nudists really create their own Bare Naked Ladies Super Bowl party

10) After the excitement of the big game, everyone gets to relax, unwind, and have fun by skinny dipping in the pool or hot tub.

10) You don’t have to worry about getting pet fur off of clothing before going to work.

9) Casual Friday is every day of the week.

8 ) Your boss will never say to you again, “I want your ass in here by 9am sharp!”

7)  IT guys won’t try to position themselves to look down your blouse.

6) Makes forgetting to turn your webcam off when you Skype more interesting.

5) No one will steal your office chair.

4) Birthday suits replace double-breasted power suits.

3) Saves company money on air conditioning.

2) Will help book sales for Nudist on the Late Shift.

1) Working naked is just another day at the office for telecommuters, telemarketers, sole practitioners, workers at a nudist resort, retirees, or a stay-at-home moms doing chores around their nest.

This coming year there will be plenty of opportunity for you to step up and show your support for AANR in a whole new way. Take the initiative and make a difference in your life and the future of nude recreation. AANR is a democracy, run by members like you, who donate their personal time and expertise in areas that benefit us all. How exciting it would be to have you run for office!

This year we are seeking qualified candidates for AANR President, AANR Vice President, AANR Secretary/Treasurer, seven Club Trustees, and seven Member Trustees. What does this mean for you? This means instead of sitting on the sidelines and saying “I wish things could be this way” or “Wow, I would have done it this way,” you could actually take part in something that is bigger than you. Now is the time to take action. March 15, 2012, is the deadline to turn in your nominations with the proper endorsements that are required.

What does this entail? A solid commitment to AANR is a great start. Your continued voting membership in AANR at the minimum of two years is the first qualification. If you are thinking of running for the illustrious spot of AANR President and/or Vice President, then you must also have the minimum experience of two years as an elected Association official, or elected regional official or member of the board of trustees or a member of a regional board.

The Secretary/Treasurer is required to be a committed AANR member with the minimum of two years consecutive membership.

To be put onto the ballot, if you are going to run for AANR President, Vice President or Secretary/Treasurer you will need no less than three club endorsements and also no less than 10 endorsements from AANR members in good standing.

As AANR represents both members and clubs equally, the AANR Board of Trustees is evenly divided with seven Trustees representing clubs and seven Trustees representing the members of the seven regions.

If you are an owner, manager, officer, board designee or paid employee of your club or a spouse of one who holds such a position in your club or cooperative, you can run for one of the Club Trustee positions.  The nomination process required for this position requires no less than three endorsements from officers of other clubs to be put on the ballot for election.

To be a Member Trustee, you must be a member of good standing in the region that you are planning to represent. You cannot be an owner, manager, officer, or paid employee of any chartered club nor a spouse of one who holds such a position.  The Member Trustee nomination process requires no less than 10 endorsements from other AANR members in good standing.

All positions are for two year terms with a limit of three consecutive terms held.

In the years that I have been a member of the AANR-Florida Board, I have gained an immense respect for the members of the AANR team that work tirelessly for you, our AANR members. You are the reason that AANR is still here after years of hard work and dedication from members just like you, who stepped up and said “Yes, I can make a difference.”

For more information on our election process and positions that are open, log in to the Members section of AANR.com for the required forms and qualifications for each office.  Or, you may call or email Linda Berry at 800-879-6833, ext. 235 or email editor@aanr.com.

Stay tuned for more information. The sooner you get yourself on the ballot for election, the sooner you can start promoting yourself by creating a candidate profile that will be shared with all our voting members.

Good luck, and thank you for considering this challenging role to help support and promote the credible voice of reason for nude recreation, the American Association for Nude Recreation.

Known as “The First American,” Benjamin Franklin is certainly one of the most revered figures in American history. From his inventions such as bifocals and the lightning rod, his accomplishments as a politician and diplomat, to his stature as a Founding Father of the United States of America, Franklin lived a colorful and highly influential life.

But did you know that this revolutionary man was also fond of spending time in the nude as part of his daily routine? In a 1927 article “The Air Bath” published by Gerald B. Webb, MD, of Colorado Springs, it is noted that Franklin wrote the following to a medical friend in 1750: “You know the cold bath has long been in vogue here (London) as a tonic, but the shock of the cold water has always appeared to me as too violent, and I have found it much more agreeable to my constitution to bathe in another element, I mean cold air. With this in view I rise almost every morning and sit in my chamber without any clothes whatever, half an hour or an hour, according to the season, either reading or writing.”

Dr. Webb, a tuberculosis specialist, also noted in his article: “It was a sad day when Adam and Eve got to use fig leaves and then putting skins on their bodies. It was shown by Nansen that the survival of the Eskimo race was due to skin bathing, while those who didn’t adopt the air bathing gave up their health. There is one thing to point out, and that is the extreme atrophy of our skin from wearing clothes.”

In addition, Benjamin Franklin taught himself to swim, is the only Founding Father in the Swimming Hall of Fame, and was known to have in his library a copy of the Art of Swimming by Melchisédech Thévenot, which featured illustrations of nude swimmers. Ben was a natural skinny-dipper.

Franklin is only one of a number of famous nudists (or naturists) in history. Others known to have enjoyed skinny-dipping or other nude activities include John Quincy Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Walt Whitman and Henry David Thoreau. In popular culture, Helen Mirren, Drew Barrymore, Alanis Morissette, Elle McPherson, Alicia Silverstone, Woody Harrelson, Heidi Klum and many others have indicated  that they enjoy shedding their clothes.

Today, nude recreation is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry. The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) is the largest, most long-established organization of its kind in North America. With roots dating to 1931, we have grown from our humble beginnings to an organization that has served 213,000 individuals throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and beyond.

You, too, can enjoy an “air bath” just as Benjamin Franklin did 260 years ago, not just in your own backyard and pool, but also at over 260 nudist resorts and affiliates. There are AANR clubs to fit your needs from upscale resorts with all the latest amenities such as fitness centers, pools, hot tubs, restaurants and Wi-Fi, to rustic campgrounds for that back to nature experience. The AANR website also has a section for finding legally sanctioned nude beaches where you can experience the joy of clothes-free recreation.

So what are you waiting for? It’s Benjamin Franklin’s birthday on January 17, so why not honor his life and legacy by spending some time in your own birthday suit!

The original mission is the same: repeal or modify the 1975 CCNS ordinance banning nudity, continue positive communications with CCNS and reduce harassment thru the education of rangers and beach users. Bill Falconer was selected to co-ordinate the Clean-up in 1997 and has done so for 15 years. Many local and regional organizations have participated and or sponsored this worth while event for which Bill is very grateful.

It’s time for a fresh face to lead the project.  Do you know someone that wishes to save the Cape Beaches?

Contact Bill  Falconer at  mrcapp@charter.net or phone 413-583-6877.

A list of all the resolutions received from our website visitors, E-Bulletin readers, and Facebook and Twitter friends will be posted here in time for New Year’s.

Recently the media has focused on stories about celebrities talking about body acceptance and their positive views on nudity.Supermodel and Project Runway star Heidi Klum has long been a proponent of nudity in appropriate settings. The German-born star has often commented in articles about how nudity is treated differently in European countries and how she and her husbad, pop singer Seal, have treated the subject of nudity in their home.

In a recent article posted on CafeMom, Klum describes what she tells her children about appropriate settings saying, “See, you teach children that there is a proper time, place and etiquette to nudity. There are social reasons you CAN be naked HERE but CAN’T be naked THERE.”

Demi Moore recently tweeted a top-free self-portrait to urge body acceptance.

Take the Huffington Post poll here.