The Old Fire Station, Hockley, 4 July 2017

After modelling in June at the inaugural session of Hockley Life Drawing and feeling it had gone rather well, I was hopeful for future bookings. Indeed, an offer did come for dates at the end of July but I wasn’t available. With just five days to go before the first Tuesday of the month, however, I received an email saying their model had cancelled, so would I like to step in? It was sooner than expected, but I was free and very happy to return. I arrived early and found The Old Fire Station immaculately prepared.

We would begin with five poses of 2-minutes, which the 12 artists were encouraged to draw with their off hand – if right-handed, use the left, and vice-versa. Thus, I thought it best to make my poses less challenging than I normally do for short work. Two poses of 5-minutes came next, then three of 10-minutes taking us to a break. It was a warm evening, but there was no danger of me overheating as I was squarely in the firing line of a fearsome electric fan that could have powered a light aircraft.

Surely this is a lucky group for me as wine and nibbles have been supplied twice, and I was their model on both occasions – this one celebrated the day before’s birthday of group organiser, Jake. After a generous gulp of merlot, I completed the session sitting on a stool for 15-minutes, and then laying down for a shade under half an hour. Twists were added to both poses, maximising the angles with interesting views. Jake offered tips to those who sought advice, and in all it was another truly pleasant evening.