Fairkytes Arts Centre, London, 19 April 2023

Opportunities for duo life modelling as a couple are thinning out. Prior to this session, Esther and I hadn’t posed together since January 2022. LeNu Life Drawing, run by our friend Natansky, happily ended our barren spell in 2023 by inviting us once more for an evening at Fairkytes Arts Centre. Last time we were both here was 2018!

At 7:30pm we started in the round with poses of 5, 10 and 15 minutes. Artists studied and captured us with quiet concentration. LeNu Life Drawing has matured – gone are the days of constant chatter throughout. Since the COVID-19 lockdowns it has grown both in numbers and seriousness. Now everybody concentrates on their art.

A further 15-minute pose took us to the half-time interval. Whilst the group’s full focus had been on making art during the preceding three-quarters of an hour, at break-time they swiftly relaxed into being as cheerful, social and engaging as ever. After tea and biscuits we resumed with a 20-minute pose sitting side-by-side on a piano seat.

Esther felt she needed to stand for the final 25 minutes, so we reprised the last of our 15-minute poses with me sitting wrapped around one of her legs. For variety, I picked the left leg instead of right, Esther switched gestures and most importantly we rotated ninety degrees. Thus a familiar pose became wholly original from all perspectives.

It’s a shame there is only quarter of an hour between this session ending and the last train running south from nearby Emerson Park station. It means we have just enough time to get dressed and photograph a few drawings before dashing off. We managed to mingle a little but then had to say our fond farewells. Thanks for having us back!