Garrett Centre, London, 22 July 2022

This was another post-pandemic embrace of an old familiarity in a new-normal guise. The economic and psychological jolt of having to survive both a deadly virus and two years of restrictions has seen many life drawing groups emerge with renewed vigour, fresh focus and fine tuning. So it seems with Adrian Dutton’s groups.

The last of my 23 previous bookings at the Garrett Centre had been February 2020. Twenty-nine months on, I sense a new energy. Shifts in arrangements are subtle, but enthusiasm for the practice amongst all in attendance felt palpably greater; or maybe it was just me. Whatever the case, it was nice. We began with three 5-minute poses.

Friday evenings had always been long-pose sessions. Now rather than a single pose of an hour-and-a-half, the format has two 45-minute poses either side of a break. For the first of these I stood with an open stride, left fingers on left shoulder, a twist to my torso, and eyes directed to my claw-like slightly-outstretched right hand.

With socialising, hot food, teas, biscuits and sweets in abundance during the interval, it was hardly a surprise we overran. Nonetheless, a few artists appeared impatient to resume so I took the initiative and started the final pose unbidden, sitting up the floor. After 35-minutes, at 9pm we were done. Good times are back in Bethnal Green.