It had been so long since I’d last posed for life drawing online – February 2022 – that I struggled to recall the set-up for Zoom. However, my wait for another chance to work with London Drawing Group had been even longer – not since February 2020 – so there was no way I would let this one pass me by. I drafted a little pose plan.
Tutor Lucy McGeown had shared the pose times in advance and said I could decide on the poses as it wasn’t going to be a themed class. That done, I readied my studio. Heating on, chair in front of a radiator, yoga mat in front of the chair, a white sheet for contrast, phone on tripod, laptop on table, both devices connected to Zoom. Sorted!
Artwork by Steph.
Artwork by Steph.
Preparation of a pose plan is still a rare practice for me but, feeling a tad rusty on the technical requirements, I thought it best to have one less thing (or in fact 10 fewer) to think about. As it was, all went very well. A slightly late start meant the last pose was cut from 40 to 30 minutes but such adjustments are commonplace in life classes.
Artwork by Steph.
Lucy led the session smoothly throughout, staying in the sweet spot between offering only suggestions or observations (never instructions) and allowing silence to reign. At no time was I aware how many artists were online drawing me. To this day I still have no clue whether it was a handful or hundreds. Plenty, I suspect; the chat was busy.
Online sessions are an invaluable means of taking part for people – be they artists or models – who might otherwise have no access to life drawing. As a model working in London with its many opportunities, it’s perhaps complacent to say I prefer in-person bookings. I’m lucky they are there for me… and I’m glad to be there for those online.
The Invitation
Hi Steve and Esther, Happy New Year! We are reopening on Thursday 18 Jan with a free class to celebrate our 10th birthday. Are you both available to model from 7-9pm at The Beehive pub? Please let me know. Best, Taz.
With some diary adjustment – thank you, Carl – we were indeed both available. We’d modelled together for their 4th birthday and 8th birthday and it never ceases to feel an honour to be invited. 💖 Happy 10th birthday, Tottenham Art Classes!! 💖
The Event
When a class is free, it’s natural to expect more people will attend than usual. What a glorious sight, though, to walk into a life room and find it buzzing with row after row of merry artists. I counted 35 before we started, but reckon the final total was nearer 50.
The high turn-out meant Esther and I had to alternate at each end of the room rather than connect closely at the centre. It was a pity, but… ç’est la vie, que sera sera, etc. We opened energetically: two 1-minute poses, two of 2 minutes, two of 5 minutes.
With such quickfire work from the outset, it was probably a kindness to artists that we weren’t able to intertwine. For the rest of this first half one of us stood whilst the other sat on a stool. Poses of 10 minutes, 15 minutes and 12 minutes took us to half-time.
Cometh the break, cometh the birthday cupcakes! Cute chocolaty handfuls with thick icing and rainbow sprinkles, courtesy of Sugar Tea Room – divine! But we devoured them with such gusto that our white floor sheet quickly became a riot of crumbs.
After cake, wine and giving the pose space a cursory clean, we returned to work with poses of 5, 10 and 15 minutes. Holding hands during the 10-minute pose was, sadly, our only physical connection on the occasion… but it got a nice smile from Taz. 😁
And so to the endgame. With barely more than 10 minutes remaining, Taz suggested we finish with five poses of 2 minutes each. We closed the session as we’d opened it, energetically switching room-ends in a blur of staccato shapeshifting.
It had been an extraordinary and wonderful evening. We’d had a cat dashing through our pose space, regular cries of “chips!” ordered from the bar, a free range dog at the denouement, and – of course – there was some dizzyingly sublime art.
Artists on Instagram
As if to emphasise how much community has built around this group, within 24 hours there were oodles of Instagram posts tagged by artists sharing their creations. These ones below are but a few. Thank you, everybody! Thank you, Taz and Tom! x
Artwork by Charlie Jermy
Artwork by Ted Bosy
Artwork by Ted Bosy
Artwork by Ted Bosy
Artwork by Warren
Artwork by Warren
Life modelling 2024 started slowly but sweetly, with Esther in my arms for the third of our monthly bookings with artist Avidyā. When she’s not making art Avidyā practices energy healing – it’s curious to pose for somebody who is less interested in capturing our physical presence than our spiritual essence and the energy of our connection.
For the painting above, a quick opening pose put our profiles in the lower foreground, after which our pale spirits ascended behind from a longer pose. Plenty of breaks are encouraged during what are essentially two hours of untimed freestyle work. Comfort is prioritised over precision each time we resume after a stretch. It’s quality time.
Nice too to see the fruits of our previous collaborations still in the studio. The painting above was from our last session together in December. Esther also often poses solo for Avidyā, most recently sitting for the stunning artwork below. Our next appointment is on Chinese New Year – what art shall we make as we enter the dragon?
With happy symmetry, my 2023 year of life modelling was bookended by sessions for ever-wonderful The Art of Isolation. Even better was to finish the year at the group’s Christmas party event. It was to be life drawing first, party later. Artists filled the room to capacity, either seated or standing at easels, as we started with a 10-minute pose.
Artwork by Elin
After our warm-up opener, we got even warmer with a series of short quickfire poses. Three poses of 1 minute each were followed by four poses of 2 minutes each. Group organiser Rod Kitson embodied the looseness, energy and spontaneity artists need for this rapid practice as he darted to and fro, sharing ideas and encouragement.
Artwork by Zoe
Artwork by Elin
As so often here, but especially in this instance, I could feel the inspirational positivity emanating from all sides – all the more so for there being many familiar friendly faces amongst the creatives scrutinising and capturing my shapes. Several have drawn me on numerous occasions and are attuned to what I do. They get me in every sense.
Artwork by Elin
Artwork by Helen
Artwork by Zoe
The next pose of 5 minutes felt like a slowdown. Well, for me anyway as I sat for this one. Nevertheless, 5 minutes can fly by so it was probably far less relaxing for artists confronted by an array of angled limbs presenting multiple foreshortening challenges. One 15-minute standing pose, Egon Schiele-style, completed the first half.
Artwork by Sophia
Artwork by Elin
Artwork by James
With a party to follow, Rod announced that the life drawing and its interval would both be shorter than usual. Of course, when he fetched out mulled wine and mince pies at the break we were at risk of premature festiveness, but there was still art to be made! As neither time nor chatter were slowing, Rod suggested I simply get into pose.
Artwork by Raphael Elizabeth
Artwork by Elin
Artwork by Elin
Artwork by Helen
Artwork by James
Artwork by Zoe
I sat for 25 minutes; my final pose for this session and for 2023. Arms went sideways (left arm up, right arm down), legs went forwards (left knee up, right knee down), and within mere moments a hush had descended as artists resumed toiling at their posts. At the end, gratitude was shared, art was admired, and refreshments were served.
What began as a pandemic project has become a creative community. It’s a beautiful thing. By the time I eventually found my way out of the now-deserted shopping centre in which The Art of Isolation is based, I was merrily full of pizza, mince pies, wine and Baileys. Huge gratitude to Rod Kitson, love to the artists, and Merry Christmas to all!
More than 30 million people passed through London Euston station during 2022/23. I wonder how many knew that a detour of just 110m on Thursday evenings would lead them to the welcoming world of life drawing? Few would ever notice the venue if they weren’t actively looking: the hall of St Pancras Church House on Lancing Street.
London Drawing holds weekly life drawing classes at different venues on different days. I’d been warned that Thursday is usually the least busy day, and pre-Christmas is often the quietest period, so we weren’t expecting a vast crowd of artists. Happily a late influx during the 10-minute warm-up pose gave us a respectable gathering.
As per my previous session for London Drawing, at Waterloo Action Centre the week before, my opening warm-up was followed by some 2-minute poses. I improvised my way through seven in total, then slowed back down with three more 10-minute poses. First I stood, then perched on a piano stool for the next two, taking us to our break.
When legs had been stretched, teas sipped, and Celebrations chocolates consumed, we completed the session with two poses of 20 minutes each. I remained seated, but at the suggestion of an artist I exchanged the piano stool for a chair with a back. This assisted me to turn away for one pose and forward for the next. Variation, you see.
It had been a simple yet satisfying evening’s work. Unusually for a church hall venue, the ambient temperature – by December standards – stayed warm throughout, aided by ubiquitous little workhorse fan heaters. After dressing and loitering a while to chat, it was time for me to depart; one of this year’s 30 million drifting through Euston.
A huge thank you to artist Mark Woods for sharing all his drawings from the session, below. Such a rare treat to see a complete colourful set!
A fortnight after we’d first modelled for Avidyā as a couple, Esther and I returned to Avidyā’s studio to form new poses. Music was playing as before, but this time livelier. Of course, Esther began dancing so I began ‘dancing’ too, and before we knew it our starter had become a spontaneous movement pose.
Avidyā likes to focus on the energy of her life models as much, if not more, than their literal form. The colours around us are as important as those within. When the dance was done we embraced for two quick standing poses. None of these warm-ups were timed. Everything was done intuitively, and it all felt right.
For our main pose, Esther directed me to sit upon the paper-covered cushioned floor and lean against the wall while she nestled between my legs, resting upon my chest, and once more we formed an embrace. Avidyā prepared a fresh canvas, readied her paints and set to work…
Two weeks ago our reclining pose seemed almost criminally comfortable, whereas in this position there were a few more pressure points that needed attention. Even so, it was the very best of circumstances. Pressure was solely within the pose; in the room there was only laughter, love and light – inspirational in so many ways. 😊💓🌈
I’d modelled at Waterloo Action Centre three times in the past, but this booking was my first time solo here. In 2013 and 2014 I had made duo poses with Ursula Troche, whereas in 2018 I formed a trio with Esther Bunting and Valentina Rock, posing for Mexican TV news.
Similarly, after all these years, this was also my first time solo for London Drawing. I had modelled as part of their multi-model extravaganza events with Spirited Bodies, and of course there was the Mexican TV piece, but now it was just me. I opened with one warm-up pose of 10-minutes, then cycled through six of 2 minutes each.
London Drawing organiser, Anne Noble-Partridge led proceedings, offering ideas and suggestions for how to approach every pose. After we’d warmed-up, the remainder of our two hours was devoted to chair work. Specifically, four poses wherein I presented various postures whilst sitting on a chair. First: 10 minutes with one knee raised.
For the second seated pose – 15 minutes – I kept my legs straight, feet crossed, and arms to one side with fingers of each hand interlinked. Anne recommended artists try continuous line drawing for this and the previous pose. Several rose to her challenge. Having been awake since 3:30am, for me the challenge was keeping my eyes open.
We took a welcome break at this point. I walked around the space, feeling my energy rekindled at the sight of many pleasing drawings. That’s all it takes sometimes. When we resumed, the third seated pose was due to last 15 minutes, but by agreement ran on for an extra five. The final seated pose was to be 20 minutes from the outset.
As temperatures outside plummeted, two little fan heaters ensured I was comfortable throughout. Indeed, every aspect had been pleasant. This sort of work appeals to the life drawing purist within me: a guided session for a mix of abilities, no gimmicks, just the pleasure of artistic practice. It was good to be back.
steve ritter 