Christ Church Methodist Addiscombe, Croydon, 27 January 2020

This January portrait sitting for The Croydon Art Society started as the offer of a life model booking in September last year. Alas, I wasn’t free for that date; neither could I make their next date in November, but my diary was open for January. It being winter, they thoughtfully reserve this session for clothed posing.

Their venue is a hall attached to Christ Church Methodist Addiscombe. I’ve worked in chilly church halls on many occasions so took the precaution of wearing especially thick clothing. Sod’s Law, however, decreed this to be warmest church hall anywhere in Christendom. I duly sweltered my way through two tropical hours.

We began not long after 7:30pm. Although I was offered some early stretch breaks, I felt comfortable enough to hold my pose till tea and biscuits, at half-eight. After much socialising, we resumed for a further 35-40 minutes, to our finish. Some artists opted to start a new work for the second half, whilst others ploughed on with a single study.

Over the years I’ve been artistically recreated in many styles with diverse media, but this was the first time I’d been fashioned out of papier-mâché. Initially I wasn’t aware what happening and was thus perplexed by sounds of paper tearing and scrunching, but I love my little 3D double – photos at half-time and full-time. Uncannily me!