The Birds, Leytonstone, 2 October 2024

11 Oct 2024

Having arrived well early for this Leytonstone Life Drawing session at The Birds, I was able to be a bit useful by helping with preparations. Organiser Jennifer Wolf has an eye for detail, especially when it comes to lighting a pose space.

This involves not only positioning a bright lamp high-up on a tripod in one corner, but also swapping lightbulbs in some of the many suspended ceiling fixtures. Being 6’4″, I’m a handy person to have around when it comes to lightbulb-changing.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have so many artists present this evening to benefit from our optimised illumination. It was one of those nights when several regulars were absent, for various reasons. Regrettable, but this is life. On another night it’ll be rammed.

Whilst the quantity of artists had dipped, the quality of artworks hadn’t. It’s a pleasure to pose for Jennifer herself, and especially Olga Szynkarczuk, who not only creates the most extraordinary works ambidextrously, but also videos her process.

For me it was a comfortable session with only a slight arm-numbness during the final standing pose. It’s just a pity there weren’t more people this time to appreciate it from start to end, and give Jennifer the return she deserved for her effort and enthusiasm.