The so-called ‘Beast from the East‘ – a weather system bringing heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures from Siberia – had blown in a fortnight ago, disrupting national infrastructure and life drawing groups alike. I had a booking cancelled back then, and the same seemed feasible this weekend as a ‘Mini Beast’ was forecast. It duly came with flurries of settling snow, but not enough to deter the artists of Wanstead House.
I’m not one to refuse the offer of an extra heater. With a wall to my back, eight artists in a semi-circle before me and hot air blowing from the left and right, I started my first 10-minutes standing. This was followed by a visually pleasing yet physically troubling 10-minute crouching pose. I was then able to recompose for 40-minutes, seated on a sheet-draped chair with my chin resting on one hand.
After an interval for tea, digestives, and grumbles about the Gas Board (is there still a “Gas Board”?), we returned to our places for a final pose of 35-minutes; seated again, albeit this time on the floor with a varied arrangement of limbs. At least one artist was happy not to have me standing again as they’d had a struggle to fit me on the page! I sat in my bubble of warmth and was simply happy that we’d defied the elements.
I’d last visited The Star by Hackney Downs three weeks before to draw Esther. That session was notable both for its superb poses and the fact that dozens of newcomers had come to draw, filling all available seats. I suspected artist numbers might return to nearer 10 or 12 when I modelled there, but no! We had another completely full house.
With in excess of 20 artists poised to draw, we began with the regular format for short poses: 5-minutes, 4, 3, 2, three of 1-minute, and three each of 30-seconds. I intended that the last of these would be a balance on one leg – normally straightforward, but I’d weakened it during the preceding poses. Note to self: always do the balance first.
Two poses of 10-minutes led us to a break. After my balancing failure I was minded to begin twisted upon the floor, but organiser Catherine Hall asked me to be upright, so instead I became as tall as possible. Democracy reigned at the restart, with a popular vote for either three 10-minute poses, two of 15, a 10 and 20, or one half-hour pose…
It was a close call but two 15-minutes poses carried the day. As ever at Drawing the Star, once the session had ended artists were invited to place their works on the floor for admiration. A carpet of excellence materialised, and I was very happy. We finished our drinks under hot lamps outside. This great group truly deserves all its successes.
Drawing Esther at The Star, 20 February 2018
As ever, it had been pleasure to draw Esther during our previous time here together. I have taken a liking to the use of coloured pencils, and alternating hues for each pose. I’m still no artist, and cannot cope with the really short poses at all, but only practice will make that better. Exceptional model, scratchy drawings, lots of fun.
With The Sun in Clapham undergoing refurbishment, Moon and Nude removed their regular Monday evening life drawing group in south London to a very different space a mere 136m up the road, at The Jam Tree. I arrived early and went through to a large back room where metal chairs had been arranged in a double semi-circle on a kind of AstroTurf carpet, facing two heavy wooden tables draped with material. I guessed this would be my stage for the evening, and was keen to give it a go.
The venue had changed but pose times remained the same: 5-minutes, 4, 3, 2, 1, 10, 15 and 20-minutes to a break, then finishing with 30-minutes and 10-minutes. I began by balancing on one leg and placing both hands on the ceiling, then cycled through a sequence of ups and downs, lefts and rights. During the interval I noticed unevenness beneath the sheet on which I posed and, on closer inspection, saw that planks in the table top had started to creak asunder! I would be more cautious in the second half…
Organiser Aless suggested I lay down for the half-hour pose but, doubting how visible this might be, I opted to prop my head on one hand and half twist my body. Needless to say this wasn’t the most comfortable variation I could have picked. I finished facing forward on all fours, gripping the table’s edge. Generous applause was forthcoming at the end, which is always nice. I rather warmed to working this room and wonder what future it has as a life drawing venue when The Sun reopens. It’s worthy of more use.
A return to posing at cave in Pimlico was just the tonic I needed. It had been a busy day, with patchy slumber the night before, so to re-immerse in the life drawing scene among this welcoming community was genuinely uplifting. We started a few minutes late as a couple of regulars had messaged organiser Karen to say they were on their way. No problem, and it suited my train times to add a few minutes extra at the end.
Five poses of 1-minute got us warmed-up. Amongst the plethora of pre-loved items in the cave sales room was a tailor’s dummy hanging upside down from the ceiling – for the next 5-minute pose I balanced on one leg and held its outreached hand. Perhaps redolent of The Creation of Adam on the Sistine Chapel ceiling? Not quite, but a fun connection. Another 5-minute pose, then two of 10-minutes took us to our break.
Two poses of 25-minutes brought the evening to its conclusion. A Simple Minds CD, played during the first half, had been swapped for unspecified material. I recognised it as Jean-Michel Jarre but to the artists it was Space Invaders so between poses we switched to Moloko. All very nice… as were the kind words and compliments offered at the end of the session. This is a cave with a warm heart.
I’d been looking forward to debuting for The Jolly Sketcher group run by friend, artist and fellow life model, Tanja Hassel. Sessions had started at The Boogaloo, Highgate where Esther was their first model on 14 August last year. Since then, they’ve shifted venue a mere mile along Muswell Hill Road to a superb space at Common House on Woodside Square. That’s where I would be making my shapes.
The bygone change of address in no way explains why on the evening itself, my brain charted a course for Hampstead instead of Highgate. By the time I spotted my error, I knew a taxi was the only way I could arrive by 7pm. One expensive corrective journey later, I entered the warm stylish room with five minutes to spare and swiftly readied for the first poses: four of 2-minutes, three 5-minutes, two 10-minutes, one 15-minute.
I had a broad area of floor upon which to work. Artists were seated at tables in front of me, but could just as easily have been seated on sumptuous sofas – although, in fact, when one did eventually break ranks it was to spread out on the floor. A gentle playlist serenaded us and, as with all model-led sessions, heating and timing were perfect. At the break we took teas in an immaculate adjoining kitchen.
We finished with a standing pose of 20-minutes and a seated pose of 25-minutes. The unexpected taxi dash and a prompt start meant I had no time to limber up first – ergo, my back was aching a little by the end, but it had been a lovely evening of life drawing. Common House is surely the most modern setting in which I’ve modelled, and Tanja’s attention to detail is exemplary. Local artists are blessed to have it on their doorstep.
As per the duo pose session with Esther at the end of last year, my first solo work of 2018 for Rhodes Avenue Primary School would be in the main hall instead of an art room. This seems to be the new permanent location, and again opened the possibility of using their gym equipment, but first was short poses: nine of 1-minute, plus a tenth that I was asked to extend into a second minute. Timing here can be fluid.
I was working in the round for seven artists. Whereas some classes have a 15-minute break in the middle, here we go right through from 7pm to 9pm, but with frequent brief interludes where tutor Rosie suggests different techniques or gives short demos while I’m in my robe or a relaxed posture. The next three poses – 3, 3 and 5-minutes – saw artists encouraged to try loose continuous swirling lines.
The last three poses were all 20-minuters, perhaps with overruns of a few minutes. To begin, I finally got my hands on the gym equipment, albeit only to stand crucifix style against a climbing frame. Next I was free-standing in the middle of the room, and last of all I was seated on vaulting horse stool making lots of negative space with one foot stretched down to the floor.
It’s quite a marathon journey across London for me to reach this school but I do enjoy the sessions here. There’s a willingness to engage and experiment with styles, taking feedback from artists, then adapting the evening’s plan to fit the mood and progress of the group. I also appreciate being able to offer my own suggestions and constructively work with their process rather than simply being the object of study. Nicely done.
With fewer life model bookings to be had during school half-term breaks, Esther and I chose the mid-February week for a getaway to Cork, in the Republic of Ireland. It was only after we’d arranged flights and an apartment that I thought to check out the city’s life drawing scene, and had a lucky find.
Visions School of Art holds life drawing meet-ups every Monday evening and was happy to book us for a duo session during the week of our trip. Even better, the venue turned out to be just a 5-minute walk from where we were staying. We arrived in good time for a 7pm start and began with five poses of 2-minutes, then four of 4-minutes.
Two 10-minute poses took us to our break for tea and chocolate digestives. We really warmed to this dynamic first half; each taking turns to strike a position, and the other responding to it in a complimentary way. We’ve done this sort of thing before but here in Cork we seemed to get it working particularly well.
Our closing pose of the session lasted 45-minutes with a stretch break about halfway though. We somehow managed to make this seated embrace rather less comfortable than it ought to have been, but never mind! We were well looked-after, kept warm, and managed to inspire some lovely art.
The main joy in the session was chatting with the artists themselves, both during the interval and at the end. It is worthwhile getting away from London every now and then to appreciate different perspectives. This may prove a one-off, but my first taste of life modelling outside the UK has whet my appetite for more. Thank you, Visions.
steve ritter 