Under multicoloured spotlights in a back room of The Village Green pub, I began my life modelling return for Art in the Village with four 2-minute poses; seated on a table at the centre of the room, turning 90° each time, brandishing polystyrene blocks…
In truth our lighting was much closer to natural white light. As every lamp was formed of multiple tiny coloured bulbs, however, it somehow tricked our cameras into making me look weirdly purple. No such problems for the artists drawing me, though.
Next I was asked to recline for the main pose that would occupy the remainder of our session. Happy to oblige, I settled back and arranged my limbs such that each would add something unique to my overall topography when observed from any direction.
We took a break after 20 minutes. Not that I needed a break from the pose itself, but the time had come for tea and biscuits. I was being exceptionally well catered-for, as I’d already been served a delicious cappuccino upon arrival. It’s nice to be spoiled. 🙂
After these refreshments I resumed my pose. Photos taken in the first half were used as an aid for fine-tuning me back into position. Upon restarting, group organiser Cleo continued sharing advice and encouragement with artists, as she had throughout.
It would be impossible to praise Cleo too highly for her thoughtfulness and generosity; before, during, and after the life drawing. Her group truly feels like a community within a community. Muswell Hill is blessed… and so was I to have been invited back.
Fourteen weeks on from my last visit, I was back at St Pancras Church House near Euston Station for another life drawing class run by London Drawing. With founding tutor Anne away in Valencia, I had the pleasure of modelling for a class led by Dolph van Eden. I’d met Dolph once before, but this was our first time working together.
With an arc of artists standing at easels, and an inner arc sitting with drawing boards, we began with a 10-minute warm-up pose followed by three 5-minute poses. Dolph’s tuition in the early stages was primarily tips on observation and measurement, but as the session progressed, so he focused more on anatomical detail.
If I have anything as a model, it’s anatomy! So I selected poses that I hoped might be most complementary to Dolph’s style. I sat for 15 minutes, then stood for 20 minutes. Dolph adjusted the lighting and – a first in my experience – used a laser pen to direct attention onto specific detail within my overall form. I found it absolutely fascinating.
After a tea break, we finished the evening with one pose of 30 minutes. As a spotlight was directed at me from the left I subtly adjusted my seated position so my raised left hand shielded my eyes. I was contorted but comfortable, and still very much attentive to Dolph’s insights. Such a refreshing change from counting minutes! Time raced by.
In a multiverse of infinite possibility, the planets are aligning auspiciously for Drawing the Star. The Star by Hackney Downs venue has repainted its first-floor event room and installed new lighting, more artists have been attending sessions in recent weeks, and an exhibition of the group’s work was opening at Bodega Gallery on 7 March.
Little wonder group organiser Catherine Hall seemed positively aglow when I arrived for this evening’s booking. It was a positivity I felt well disposed to reciprocate, as our connection goes back a long way. In harmony with the positive changes, some things remained reassuringly consistent – our first half pose times, for example.
We began 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute, 1 minute, 1 minute, 30 seconds, 30 seconds, 30 seconds, 10 minutes, and 10 minutes to our break. For the final half-hour, a vote on preferences for long or short poses was inconclusive so we compromised: one 10-minute pose and one 20-minute pose to the finish.
As usual at the end, artworks were placed upon the floor for general admiration. This time, however, the talk was about which drawings could be added to the exhibition. It warms the heart. My only sadness was that the timing of a trip abroad meant I would not be able to attend the gallery myself.
This session came 12 days before the 10-year anniversary of my first time modelling for one of Catherine’s groups, on 3 March 2014. Back then I blogged: “let’s hope the classes continue and become a popular success.” Continue they did across various settings, and the future looks rosy indeed. It’s been a privilege to share the journey.
posted by Alex McKenzie.
My first all-day booking of 2024 was this class at Brockley Adult Education Centre, led by tutor Joanna McCormick. Temperatures both outside and inside were mellow for mid-February, but warm-up exercises for artists are nonetheless de rigueur:
1-minute pose – expressive scribbling with a graphite stick
2-minute pose – circles and triangles with coloured pens
3-minute pose – graphite shadows and blending with a eraser
4-minute pose – hatching and cross-hatching with a black pen
5-minute pose – background as a starting point
After this flurry I sat to one side while students were shown a short video on the work of artist Curtis Holder. Jo followed this with further tuition and demonstrations. Once everyone was thoroughly inspired, I presented a seated pose of 30 minutes.
A short break followed, then out came graphite pencils, coloured pencils, watercolour pencils, and watercolour paints. Jo demonstrated techniques with each, before I took my seat once more and remained in pose for 45 minutes… which became 50.
I was nicely comfortable and gladly agreed to a 5-minute extension. We took time out for lunch, then settled down to one long pose that completed the afternoon. I fidgeted into the most cosy reclining attitude achievable, and stayed there for 90 minutes.
Such beautiful vibrant spiritual works; such diversity of vision and interpretation. This wasn’t a group of highly-experienced classically-trained artists, but each one opened their mind to a freer way of seeing and mark-making. That’s my idea of art.
At the end of a not-uncomfortable, yet nonetheless perched-upright seated long pose for my last visit to The Conservatoire, tutor Victoria Rance gave notice that I could expect a reclining pose for my next booking. Lovely. And so it came to pass.
After three warm-up poses of 1 minute, and one each of 5 and 10 minutes, we set-up the 2-hour long pose. At first we considered a reprise of me lying flat and straight with arms at my sides. It’s better than it sounds, but we’ve done it twice before, so…
…I tweaked it. This time I put my left fingers on my chest, folded my left leg under my right thigh, and allowed right leg and right arm to drape limp from my raised platform. Sorted. It was comfortable enough for me not to need a stretch during the first hour.
I’d planned to take just one break throughout the entire duration, but numbness crept into my hanging limbs during the second hour so a little shake-out was necessary. By the end, great drawings emerged with foreshortening handled superbly. Good work!
Esther and I returned to our humble corner of happiness in the studio of Avidyā for a booking brought forward by one week. Sad circumstances meant we would no longer be able to align with Chinese New Year, but there was no sadness on this day.
As per our three previous monthly sessions, we warmed-up with a couple of quickfire untimed poses for loose charcoal sketches. From start to finish our work for Avidyā is all about energy. It manifests most abundantly in the smiling faces.
For the main pose, we sought to recreate our physical and energetic connection from the previous month so Avidyā could continue developing a painting she’d marked out. We resumed our positions and reset our smiles.
We’d barely settled when the energy to lifted unexpectedly from joyful contentment to outright playfulness. Avidyā unwrapped a new canvas to capture her fresh inspiration. She’d seen purity with a childlike innocence and wanted to paint us in a child’s style.
For an adult to paint convincingly in the style of a young child takes great skill. Esther and me, the fairytale princess and prince – so sweet! After, we all celebrated Chinese New Year one week early with a fine family meal at Yi-Ban. Enter the Dragon…
After the excitement of being invited to the short pose space at Mall Galleries on my last visit for Hesketh Hubbard Art Society, I was back to familiar territory for a more sedentary session with the portrait artists… amid remarkable vegetation in pastel.
As I settled down for the first of my two unbroken hours seated and motionless in the hot seat I removed my glasses and directed my hazy myopic gaze at the distant pink blur of Esther on shorts. Sixty minutes passed; four poses for Esther, one for me.
It remains rather mind-bending to be physically immobile for an hour with nothing but one’s own thoughts for sustenance while artists scrutinise each follicle and molecule, every pore and flaw. But I get tea and biscuits at half-time. And one more hour, ’til…
Artwork by Tony Swann.
Artwork by Desmond Sloane.
Artwork by Neesha Khan.
Artwork by Philip Stones.
Artwork by Vanya Marinova.
Astonishing artworks. Thank you! Last time Esther and I were here, the third model was Leo @Jigglechick87. We got a fine photo of the three of us back then, and hey, here we at Leo’s birthday party the evening after this. Good times, special people. 💖
steve ritter 