Private booking, Margate, 4 August 2024
Margate appears to have become the epicentre of arts in north Kent. The celebrated home town of artist Tracey Emin also now boasts the Turner Contemporary gallery plus many other independent galleries and artist studios. Indeed, no fewer than three life drawing organisers for whom I first modelled in London have relocated here. One is my good friend Catherine Hall, who still runs Drawing the Star in Hackney.
I’d visited Catherine in Margate a couple of times before, but this was a long overdue first visit to do some life modelling. The idea received fresh impetus when our mutual friend Farida Yesmin, who also lives in Kent, joined us at a Drawing the Star session in June. Plans were made, and the three of us duly converged for a summer Sunday morning of life drawing in the great outdoors. I disrobed beneath apple and fig trees.
Artwork by Catherine Hall.
Artwork by Catherine Hall.
Although nude outside in a residential area, I eschewed the use of a fig leaf. Even so, we started cautiously to avoid a scandal. I stood well concealed amidst foliage for the first two poses of 10 minutes each. But then I became bolder, emerging more into the diffused light of this overcast day: 15 minutes and another 10 minutes. As confidence grew, so did my roving; I crossed the lawn to recline on a bench for 10 minutes.
Catherine with reclining nude.
Artwork by Catherine Hall.
On the other side of the lawn I stood for a final pose of 14 minutes. I believe I noticed the top of neighbour’s head bobbing along behind the wall opposite but happily for all concerned, their eyes never peered over the top. Catherine and Farida are both such supremely gifted artists that their focus couldn’t be deflected by oblivious passers-by, nor even a few sparse raindrops. This was wonderful art-making in urban nature.
Artwork by Catherine Hall.
Artwork by Farida Yesmin.
It’s nice to do something out of the ordinary and off the London circuit. Even better in such great company, with generous helpings of Catherine’s legendary banana bread. The art didn’t end there as we took time to check out exhibitions by the Tracey Emin Artist Residency (‘The Final Show’), Vanessa Raw (‘On Earth We Weren’t Meant To Stay’), and Ed Clark at the Turner. Next stop: with Farida in Folkestone! 🙂
steve ritter 