The Cambria, London, 15 October 2014

For all the wonderful art there is to create in extraordinary locations, sometimes with multiple models, sometimes with outrageous props, I’m still a purist at heart. I love it when a life drawing session is literally stripped back to its bare minimum: the artists and their creative instruments; the model, naked, alone.

A new opportunity appeared on 7 October for just such work. The call-out came from Tatiana on behalf of Camberwell Life Drawing:

MALE MODEL NEEDED!!
Who would be available to model for me on the 15 and 22nd of October?

[…] the class is from 7pm to 9pm. We usually have the same model for 2 weeks in a row, the first week we do a short poses class (2 to 15min) and the following week a long poses class (15 to 45min).

40 Kemerton Road, Camberwell, SE5 9AR, London (the nearest train station is Loughborough Junction and bus stop for buses 35, 45, 345 is only 7 minutes away from our location.)

Thank you in advance! 🙂

I volunteered for both dates and was in.

As always for a first time modelling at a new venue, I turned up with plenty of time to spare. I was particularly looking forward to this first of the two dates, as the potential for dynamism and variety in the shorter poses appeals to me more than the naturally self-limiting (for the model) longer format.

The Cambria pub would be the venue – a superb traditional old London pub. Tables and chairs had been arranged as an arc in the large upstairs function room, facing a long bright red couch. Lighting and heaters were being rigged as I arrived.

Tatiana had told me the group usually numbers around 10 artists, with maybe 16 the high-water mark. I think we had 14 this evening, which was pleasing. My picture had been used in the advertising and seemed not have had a negative effect!

Come 7pm I walked in front of the arc of tables, stood before the couch and shed my gown. The first half sequence was to be four 2-minute poses, three of 5-minutes, and three of 10-minutes. After a break we would conclude with three 15-minute poses.

I struck dynamic standing poses for each of the 2-minutes, then one standing pose in between two sitting on floorboards for the 5-minutes, ending in a lotus position. These were the purist poses I love.

I followed with a 10-minute restful pose on the couch leaning over one arm, and then a 10-minute inverted pose with legs and bottom on the couch, head and arms draped to the floor. The last 10 minutes were standing, hands on hips.

I needed the interval to let my back recover a little. On resumption I began seated on the couch, with one foot flat on the cushions and my spine rounded into its back – a counterpose to the earlier back-bend down to the floor. 15 minutes standing followed, holding a flower in one hand and extending the other. To conclude, I went 15 minutes laying lengthways on the couch with my arms and legs over either end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this session. After dressing I joined Tatiana in photographing the artists’ works. There was plenty of quality on show – all of which whetted my appetite for what might be produced when I return for longer poses.