St Alban Church Hall, Romford, 17 June 2015

“Do you want to model in Romford next week?”

“Probably. 🙂 What day and address?”

Thus a new booking at a new venue came my way. A friend had found herself obliged to pass on the booking, and gladly I was able to accept it. The group’s organiser was keen too, so our date was set.

The life drawing evening at St Alban Church Hall is the quintessential small, friendly gathering of artists. The half-a-dozen regulars who came along to draw me were all on first name terms, and when a new first-time artist arrived just before the start she was made very welcome.

I would be providing four poses for them: 10 minutes standing, 20 minutes seated and 20 minutes standing, up to our break. After tea and biscuits I settled down to a single 45-minute pose reclining on a huge inflatable bed – rarely have I known comfort like it whilst modelling.

Our newcomer artist was none other than Amanda of Feel Good Painted, who had body painted me for the 2015 London Naked Bike Ride just the previous Saturday. It seemed fitting, after she’d given me my first ever half-day of body art, that I should pose for her first ever life drawing session.

I was grateful to be asked if I could model again after the summer break, and averred that I would be only too happy to return. A good time was had by all.