Mall Galleries, London, 9 February 2018

Returning to Mall Galleries last Friday evening, I was again challenged with selecting an original 2-hour long pose for Hesketh Hubbard Art Society. I wanted to stand this time, as always I capitulate when faced with what feels like the expectation to adopt a relatively straightforward seated attitude. Tradition is a factor here, and the artists tend to set-up in anticipation of a pose even before the model arrives. The initial absence of a chair seemed to encourage me in my aspiration, but eventually one appeared.

Very well then. I would once more be sitting with my face and body forwards for artists arranged in a semi-circle around me. As per last time, I hooked my left ankle beneath my right buttock, but for variety put a curve in my torso and supported the right side of my face on the knuckles of my right hand. Thus we began. One pleasing aspect of the sameness was that some genuinely lovely people with superb talent would be drawing me, and I could feel assured that strong artworks would be the result of my pains.

The 2-hour long poses are split into two halves, each of one hour. About thirty minutes into the first half, one of the artists asked me if I would like a stretch but, as I felt quite comfortable, I declined. My neck and left side subsequently got a bit achy but nothing unbearable. In the second half, perhaps as a result of my early complacency, no such offer was made, and typically I ended the pose in considerable discomfort. All my own fault of course, as I could ask to stretch at any time. Maybe next time I will stand…