A-side B-side Gallery, Hackney, 29 September 2014

My first life modelling session at the A-side B-side Gallery had been a last minute desperation booking after another model had dropped out. It was pleasing, therefore, to find my efforts were sufficient to warrant repeated bookings on a limited roster.

Aside from the circumstances, the other difference this time around was the location of the gallery itself – still part of Hackney Downs Studios but now in its own space separate from the main building. The space was slightly smaller, and so were artist numbers: at least six had dropped out through sickness, and another was detained elsewhere. Thus, for the evening I was the centre of attention for three artists.

As per last time the session was led by Catherine Hall. The combination of chill-out music, regular time calls, and Catherine’s tips and tuition made it a relaxing evening that seemed to race by.

We started with two five-minute standing poses, then went into six dynamic poses of one minute each, plus a further two of just 30 seconds. Proportion and tone were the themes of discovery. One-minute poses were 30 seconds in black and 30 seconds in white. I concluded the first half with 20 minutes seated.

After a break I resumed with another brace of five-minute poses, and finished seated on the floor for a half-hour stretch while my extended left foot faded to numbness.

All three artists kindly permitted me to photograph their work, but my pictures of one artist’s drawings came out blurred. This was hugely frustrating as the artists drew in contrasting styles, and each deserved for me to do them justice. Here are examples of the evening’s work nonetheless. I’ve done what I can, with apologies, to correct for blurring in the last one. A great session.