The Prince Regent, Herne Hill, 28 November 2018

Hindrance. I’d felt my cold coming on Monday evening, yet by Tuesday evening it was still no more than a sore throat. Come the Wednesday evening, my throat was painful and constricted but had no accompanying symptoms, so I felt all would be well for life modelling at The Prince Regent. I still had to arrive on time, however, and a brace of train delays meant I only reached the front door at the minute we were due to start.

Fortunately for me I didn’t find Lisa of SketchPad Drawing impatiently drumming her fingers; what had delayed me was evidently still delaying many of the regulars, so we would begin a few minutes late. When the time came, I opted to perch on a high seat for the opening 15-minute pose (running to 16 minutes). Quick poses followed: two of 5-minutes and one of 2-minutes.

I stood for 15-minutes next, and was all set to end the first half standing in a dramatic attitude with one hand covering my face when Lisa pointed out that some artists liked to draw portraits… so I lowered the hand, lowered myself to the floor, and instead sat with chin elevated for the 12-minutes that remained. Halfway through the session and still my cold symptoms were at bay!

I switched rooms after the interval and finished my work with one 45-minute long pose, sitting on furniture draped with sheets and my chunky sweater. Still my cold remained within, to be joined insidiously by the cold of night that crept past the shield of heaters and through my skin. We compensated for our late start by over-running a little, but I’d lost track of time anyway. I was glad to move again, glad to get warm, glad to be here.