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! 🙂
Life modelling is always a more comfortable experience in the warm summer months of long light days with fewer clothes to shed. And where better to appreciate this than The Conservatoire in Blackheath beneath the glass roof of its Victorian art building? ‘Warm-up’ poses, for those still in need of warming-up, were: 1, 1, 1, 5, 10 minutes.
A single long pose would occupy our remaining two hours. Tutor Victoria Rance had suggested we look to the sculptures of Auguste Rodin for inspiration, so we scrolled through images of his works and were drawn to the strong standing stance of a portly gentleman with arms folded. I was to be Balzac, étude de nu C, grand modèle.
Stretch breaks were offered every 20 minutes but I prefer to continue in pose as long as the cumulative little pains remain tolerable. I stood from 8pm to 8:30pm, then took time-out till 8:45pm, resumed for a further half-hour till 9:15pm, had a 10-minute rest, and completed the session in pose for a final 30 minutes up to 9:55pm.
My back was a bit creaky by the end, but otherwise all was good: a nice atmosphere, pleasing artworks, and it’s always great to work with Victoria. Most serendipitous was the inspiration. I’d only recently finished reading the wonderful Cousin Bette by none other than Honoré de Balzac himself. It was my honneur to stand as him here. 🙂
My first booking of 2024 with The Moon and Nude saw me once again taking centre stage – or rather, the centre of a large oval of chairs – at The Victoria Stakes pub in Muswell Hill. Sadly the group’s organiser, Julia couldn’t be present but it was good to reconnect with others in this friendly community of artists.
Artwork by Alan Baines.
Early summer temperatures were comfortable and I was happy for curtains to remain open – at most I might be glimpsed by passengers on the top deck of passing buses. Nonetheless, the possibility of complaints was apparently real, but worth a risk for the natural light, while it lasted. We started with poses of 3, 3, 3, 5, 10 and 15 minutes.
For the final 20-minute pose before our half-time break, I stood with my back arched, left foot a small pace forward, right hand on right hip, and left hand raised. During the interval, artists said they thought my raised arm must have ached. It hadn’t; but there was enough in that back arch to make this easily the session’s most painful pose.
Artwork by Alan Baines.
Artwork by Alan Baines.
Two 20-minute poses concluded our second half. I sat upon a high bar stool for both, first facing north, then turning south. Not for polar alignment, but out of consideration for where most artists were clustered. It’s not possible to make each pose perfect for everyone in the round, but one does at least try to be fair to all… and please most!
Some life drawing groups are reliably consistent. As the model employed, one knows how the venue will be arranged, how many poses will be needed, and how long each pose will last. One can mentally prepare a pose plan and proceed with certainty.
At other groups every session is an adventure. One may have a sense of tuition style or tone or energy, but pose requirements, artistic techniques to be practised, and any overarching theme may not be known till one is naked and awaiting instruction.
The former breed confidence; the latter are energising… like this one. 🙂
This was my third booking with Art in the Village. I knew from experience not to plan in advance, just enjoy the ride. But I also knew I would be in safe professional hands, treated with utmost care and respect, and have an engaging, challenging, lively time!
It was to be a session of contrasting halves. We started with our main exercise of the morning, for which the group’s inspirational tutor, Cleo asked the artists to prepare by each applying graphite across an entire sheet of paper using a soft pencil.
After a few minutes listening to the ocean-like swishes of 4B on A4, I was then asked to sit in a very open pose – lots of negative space from all angles – for artists to draw using erasers. In other words, subtractive drawing: where less is literally more.
I sat comfortably in position for the entire 45 minutes; not requiring a break, although several offers were forthcoming. In fact I thought the artists might struggle more than me, with it being their first attempt at this method, but they did really well.
For the second half, we had some improvised quick-pose fun. At Cleo’s suggestion, I worked my way around the arc of artists, standing in front of each for 2 minutes in an expressive theatrical pose. Artists captured all the poses on one sheet each.
Quick poses are often used as the warm-up before a long pose, but this light-hearted reversal made for a very nice warm-down. With ten minutes remaining, we squeezed in one final 10-minute pose and were done. Brilliant session! Thank you, Cleo. 🙂
In June 2023, the BBC reported on Rod Kitson: the artist who has painted almost 400 Londoners. In June 2024, I had the honour of becoming Rod’s number 459. For many of his 400+ portrait sitters, it was a one-time experience, whereas my own mug has often been portrayed by Rod’s life drawing group at The Art of Isolation. Even so, this sitting felt like a uniquely special session.
For a start, it was one-to-one; still at The Art of Isolation in Surrey Quays but in Rod’s backroom studio rather than the community art space. Also I wasn’t being paid by the hour, or indeed at all. I felt flattered to be invited and pleased to be supporting a good project and a good guy. The only similarity to life modelling here was it lasted 2 hours with a break at half-time for tea. At the end, an extraordinary likeness was revealed.
I can’t recall the last time 2 hours seemed to fly by so quickly. It helped that Rod likes to chat while painting. We talked about life, about art, about life art; the scene, artists, models, and any other matters to which our meandering minds might momentarily be drawn. My sole modelling focus was to keep my head still, but even that was more to satisfy my own standards than at Rod’s insistence. It was a nice positive connection.
To find out more about this special project, go to Instagram: Rod Kitson portraits.
To find our whether I kept my head still, check out the video below!
Fifteen years on from my first World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) in London, way back in 2009, I was once again cycling around the capital’s streets wearing nothing but my sunglasses, headband and a smile. This was the fourteenth time I had participated in WNBR London, having missed only 2010 and there being no ride in 2020.
World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR)
WNBR is a worldwide campaign that demonstrates the vulnerability of cyclists and protests against car culture. Its linked objectives are to:
- protest against the global dependency on oil
- curb car culture
- obtain real rights for cyclists
- demonstrate the vulnerability of cyclists on city streets
- celebrate body freedom
I felt in much better shape for this year’s ride than last year’s, so I checked the list of start points to decide where I would begin. The Deptford start had sadly disappeared, but the new Hackney Wick option looked tempting. Eventually, however, a booking to life model for Barbican Art Society that morning effectively made the choice for me.
So it was that I made my return to the Tower Hill start at Trinity Square Gardens. I’d last started from Tower Hill back in 2021 when I was a marshal leading from the front of the ride. Nowadays I’m happiest when immersed within the masses. Upon arriving from nearby Barbican, I found the masses were already very much on the scene.
Tower Hill to Southwark Bridge
Maybe I arrived later than usual but I’ve never seen the gardens so full. Nonetheless, somehow I managed to spot my friend Natansky, who’d founded the ride’s Tower Hill start a full decade ago. In those early days, rounding-up riders was like the proverbial herding of cats. Now, with the aid of her happy helpers, she’s got it sussed. 🙂
2:29pm at Trinity Square Gardens: the masses
The ride always attracts photographers; some professional, many voyeurs. The latter were out in force this year, but mostly smiling and respectful. One young guy, though; pale face, wispy beard behind a mask, darting about with his zoom-lens focused only on women’s genitals. I tried having a word, but he was a lost soul. Don’t be that guy.
2:43pm on Trinity Square: ready… steady…
Eight minutes before our scheduled departure time of 2:45pm, we began pushing our bikes onto Trinity Square via the north exit of the gardens. There we lingered, in keen anticipation as a last few naked cyclists – plus our lone crowd-controller wearing only her hi-vis vest – got into position. Just eight minutes later than planned, we set off.
2:53pm on Byward Street: …go! Natansky waves us out
2:57pm on Lower Thames Street: pausing
Protest gatherings and marches are a constant in London. Citizens will not be denied their right to protest! The WNBR route gets tweaked in advance so our protest avoids others; this year it needed more tweaks than ever, but not at the start: Byward Street, Lower Thames Street, Upper Thames Street, Queen Street Place, Southwark Bridge.
3:03pm on Upper Thames Street: left onto Queen Street Place
3:04pm on Southwark Bridge: southbound
Southwark Bridge to Forum Magnum Square
The familiar route continued: from Southwark Bridge to Southwark Bridge Road, then right into Sumner Street, veering left around the south of Tate Modern before another right turn, into Southwark Street. Then came tweak #1: instead of heading back north across Blackfriars Bridge we continued onwards, direct into Stamford Street.
3:06pm on Southwark Bridge Road: right onto Sumner Street
3:12pm on the A3200: from Southwark Street to Stamford Street
Whilst the route’s tweaks avoided other protests, maybe an unintended consequence was that we found ourselves in the way of fire engines on emergency calls. With blue lights flashing behind, we hastily moved to the kerb on Stamford Street so fire engine no.1 could pass by without delay. In fourteen London rides, this was a first for me.
3:15pm on Stamford Street: fire engine no.1
3:16pm on Stamford Street: forever blowing bubbles
3:18pm on Stamford Street: selfie with bubbles
Our route change not only cut out Blackfriars Bridge but also Embankment, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and Westminster Bridge. Whitehall has long been too tricky but it’s sad to lose them all. Safety and pragmatism must come first, though. Cornwall Road, Upper Ground and Belvedere Road took us to Forum Magnum Square.
3:21pm on Upper Ground: National Theatre
3:23pm on Belvedere Road: London Eye
3:25pm on Belvedere Road: approaching Forum Magnum Square
3:30pm at Forum Magnum Square: posse of ride organisers
Forum Magnum Square to Lincoln’s Inn Fields
Cutting chunks from the ride meant it took us just 35 minutes to get from Tower Hill to Forum Magnum Square; it had taken 55 minutes in 2021. With the sun behind clouds and a chill to the air, I would have gladly cut a chunk from our time spent waiting here for riders from other starts to join us. Mercifully, after 25 minutes we moved on.
3:53pm on Forum Magnum Square: preparing to move on
3:55pm on Belvedere Road: hey, that’s me in the background! – © Faye Kinnit
4:06pm on Stamford Street: left onto Blackfriars Road
We retraced our tracks on Belvedere Road but instead of taking our traditional return north via Waterloo Bridge, we went along Upper Ground, Broadwall, Stamford Street, Blackfriars Road and north at last on Blackfriars Bridge. I suspect this route tweak #2 owed more to avoiding roadworks than avoiding other protests.
4:08pm on Blackfriars Bridge: eyes right for St Paul’s Cathedral
4:10pm off Blackfriars Bridge: onto New Bridge Street
From Blackfriars Bridge we had a brief glimpse of St Paul’s Catherdral – the first time I’d seen it on a WNBR since we skirted it in 2012. Tweak #2 continued to New Bridge Street, then left on Fleet Street, before a right into Chancery Lane put us back on our familiar route to Lincoln’s Inn Fields via Carey Street and Serle Street.
4:16pm on Fleet Street: right onto Chancery Lane
4:18pm on Lincoln’s Inn Fields: ride regulars, always colourful
4:28pm at Lincoln’s Inn Fields: me in the middle, having a stretch – © tony mudd
4:36pm at Lincoln’s Inn Fields: caught on camera again – © Ðariusz
Lincoln’s Inn Fields to Shaftesbury Avenue
In contrast to Forum Magnum Square, when the sun broke through cloud at Lincoln’s Inn Fields it felt blissfully energising. Riders relaxed, some danced, and I chatted with two great guys I’d met randomly on last year’s ride. When we left, it was via Remnant Street, Great Queen Street and then – tweak #3 – Newton Street and High Holborn.
4:42pm on Remnant Street: those great guys behind me
4:44pm on Newton Street: this was indeed new
4:46pm on High Holborn: solidarity with Palestine
4:47pm on High Holborn: cyclists… but Evans Cycles is closed.
High Holborn led into what was, for me, the highlight of our ride: Shaftesbury Avenue. Tourists and Londoners gleefully cheered us here like nowhere else. Such a fantastic vibe. We must tweak this way again! That said, it sent us past Soho Fire Station, and once again we had to make space for a fire engine with its sirens wailing.
4:55pm on Shaftesbury Avenue: through Theatreland
4:57pm on Shaftesbury Avenue: fire engine no.2
4:58pm on Shaftesbury Avenue: check your prostate!
4:58pm on Shaftesbury Avenue: accidental selfie
Shaftesbury Avenue to The Mall
Just before reaching the Piccadilly Circus end of Shaftesbury Avenue we went left on Great Windmill Street, then slalomed down to Haymarket. In bygone years we’d have cycled from Lincoln’s Inn Fields via Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square to The Mall, but tweak #4 eschewed Cockspur Street and Admiralty Arch in favour of Pall Mall.
4:59pm on Shaftesbury Avenue: left onto Great Windmill Street
5:01pm on Haymarket: hey hey Haymarket
5:02pm on Pall Mall: with these wings
So, from the end of Haymarket we took a right into Pall Mall and went onwards to the elongated roundabout at its western end. Here, a left down Marlborough Road at last led us to The Mall. Pall Mall is not without prettiness, but… it’s grey. This unavoidable tweak sadly bypassed two-thirds of The Mall, but the crucial final third remained.
5:03pm on Pall Mall: pausing, pausing
5:10pm on Pall Mall: pausing, posing
5:13pm on Pall Mall: left onto Marlborough Road
The Mall to Wellington Arch
Upon swinging right from Marlborough Road to The Mall, we savoured a leisurely roll along its westernmost slice of magnificence to the Victoria Memorial. As I turned onto Constitution Hill, whom did I encounter next to Buckingham Palace? None other than WNBR London’s own royalty: Natansky, again. Had to get our selfies on The Mall.
5:15pm on The Mall: Buckingham Palace pageantry, WNBR-style
5:16pm on Constitution Hill: catching up with Natansky at the palace
At 5:18pm on Constitution Hill, after two hours and twenty-five minutes cycling naked around London, I had entered the home straight. All riders had chosen where to start, and now all were finishing at the same place, at their own pace. WNBR is a collective effort, but one within which there are hundreds of very personal experiences.
5:18pm on Constitution Hill: the home straight
5:21pm at Wellington Arch: end-of-the-line sunshine
5:24pm at Wellington Arch: and we’re done!
The sun crowned Wellington arch as I made my approach. For all the changes made to the 2024 ride, this grand portal remains a satisfying finish line. Tweaks had been a necessity and whilst those in the first half had been dull, the Shaftesbury Avenue one was a brilliant success. I guess that’s a fair balance. Fair play to the organisers.
Our route from Tower Hill to Wellington Arch
Bygone blogs
Previously on the London Naked Bike Ride:
- London Naked Bike Ride 2023 – Short Circuit
- London Naked Bike Ride 2022 – Back in the Pack
- London Naked Bike Ride 2021 – Safety first
- London Naked Bike Ride 2019 – Back to Bare
- London Naked Bike Ride 2018 – Peaceful Protest
- London Naked Bike Ride 2017 – New Bridges
- London Naked Bike Ride 2016 – A Silver Lining
- London Naked Bike Ride 2015 – Feel Good Painted
- London Naked Bike Ride 2014 – A Fresh Start
- London Naked Bike Ride 2013 – Arch to Arch
- London Naked Bike Ride 2012 – Into the Light
- London Naked Bike Ride 2011 – Re-wrapped
- London Naked Bike Ride 2009 – First Time
Barbican Art Society gathers for life drawing at Barbican Art Room deep in the belly of London’s Barbican Estate – a dense, sprawling multi-level nest of brutalist blocks, terraces and towers, highwalks, lower paths, ups, downs, lines, arrows and all things discombobulating for uninitiated. With an early start and detailed directions, however, its inner sanctum was miraculously attained…
“Take the escalator … entrance to … up to … along the highwalk in between … come to a bridge … on to … follow the painted yellow line … left under … then right on to … few yards down …. go through gate … down one level … sign at the top…” 😳 !!!
The welcome arrival of art tutor Mark Lovelace reassured me I was in the right place and safe hands. The art room, unlike its entombing complex, is small but very human with all the trappings of a well-used, much-loved community resource. There was just enough space for me to stow my bicycle – more of which later – in the farthest corner away from artists, easels and my own little pose space.
It was still only 10:15am when we got underway with a standing pose of 15 minutes. I followed this with five 2-minute poses and a brace of 5-minute poses, before finishing the first half with a single 20-minute pose. After tea and shortbread, two further poses of 20 minutes concluded the session. I absorded Mark’s clever tuition throughout. For example, good with lines but struggle with shading? Try cross-hatching. Inspired!
With the session done, I wheeled my bike from the art room to the Barbican Centre where I relaxed for an hour. Regular browsers of this blog will know that any time my bike makes an appearance it can mean only one thing: a World Naked Bike Ride is happening. And so it was. As the time ticked past 1:30pm, I began the slow meander towards my next destination: the 2024 London Naked Bike Ride start at Tower Hill…
steve ritter 