More than "just" modeling

My name is Shawnrey Notto, also known as The Black Muse—a name that reflects not just who I am, but the role I embody in every room I enter: to spark creativity, inspire emotion, and help artists access something deeper through the human form.
I’ve been modeling professionally since 2006, after earning my degree in Sociology from Pomona College. Over nearly two decades, I’ve modeled for colleges, ateliers, studios, and private artists across New York and the San Francisco Bay Area. But for me, art modeling has always been more than holding a pose—it’s embodied storytelling.
I call it suspended dancing—the sacred pause between movement and stillness, where the body becomes a conduit for emotion, archetype, and imagination. In those moments, I don’t simply pose—I collaborate. I tune into the space, the energy, the artists’ intention, and let my body become the brushstroke before the brush even touches the page.
With roots in both sensual embodiment and performance (I’m also a dancer, poet, and creative guide), I bring a wide range of expression to each session—from fluid and whimsical to grounded and powerful. I understand not only how to hold form, but how to evoke feeling through it.
My modeling work is an extension of my larger philosophy—The Sensual Artist’s Way—which celebrates the aliveness of the body as a source of beauty, expression, and truth.
I am skilled in quick gesture, sustained poses, and extended sessions. I take direction well, offer creative input when invited, and am always punctual, professional, and attuned.
Whether you're drawing, painting, or sculpting—I show up as a living muse, ready to hold space for your artistic vision to unfold.
“To model is to open—to become the canvas before the canvas, a vessel through which imagination flows.”
~ Shawnrey Notto