Walthamstow Toy Library, London, 18 May 2026
Little did I suspect when I posed for Walthamstow Lifedrawing at Harmony Hall just two months ago it would be my last time there. Alas, this much-loved space has gone the way of so many community venues; fallen victim to spiralling rent and now closed forever, or so it seems. But Walthamstow Lifedrawing goes on.
The group has relocated to Walthamstow Toy Library, no more than a three-minute walk away. They still meet on Monday evenings, 7:30pm to 9:15pm, the same format and the same friendly charm. A community is more than its bricks and mortar; people were making art for millennia before being forced to make rent. Art will endure.
Thus, in our new playful setting I entered the round, removed my dressing gown, and held various poses ranging from 5 minutes to a half-hour. Disappointingly, there were no toys I could use as props… only a single lonely balloon, half-deflated, the remnant of some bygone party… relatable, really. So I made a few short shapes with that.
Pose minutes, 7:30pm-9:15pm
Part 1 : 5, 5, 5, 5, 10, 15, 20.
— break —
Part 2 : 30.
Artworks
With apologies to artists I’m unable to credit.
steve ritter 