One can be fairly certain one has found the life drawing room at a new venue if there’s paper taped over glass panels in the door. I entered the upstairs function room at The Great North Wood in West Norwood and was greeted by Richard – organiser of the new life drawing group there. I’d known Richard as a frequent artist at Mall Galleries, and only last week he’d drawn me with the Tanner Street group. Now it would be my sincere pleasure to pose for one of own sessions.
The place was clean, bright and spacious. Lighting had been specially rigged over the space where I was to work, easels stood in an arc and a table by one side was laden with complimentary materials. I began with four 2-minute warm-up poses, followed by 5-minutes inverted with my feet upon the back of a chair. After 15-minutes sitting with a twist, I was asked for 15-minutes squatting in a semi-balance on my toes. This was a real strain on the tendons, and required a break halfway – rare for a short pose.
Following an interval, we finished the evening with a single long pose that lasted about 50-minutes, with a stretch break halfway through. At Richard’s behest, I recreated the same seated pose with which I concluded last Wednesday’s session in Tanner Street. As the time passed, he alternated between working on his own drawing and offering a few useful tips to other artists. These are early days for the group so numbers are still low, but it’s an ideal venue with an encouraging atmosphere. Let’s hope it grows.
My journey to 47/49 Tanner Street is relatively short but as it involves walking across Tower Bridge, I allow extra time in case I’m unlucky enough to find it raised. It hasn’t happened yet, so again I arrived comfortably early. Co-organisers Xanthe Mosley and Cliff Barden were busy setting up the large but surprising warm ground floor space.
Checking back on my blog I could hardly believe it had been fully two and a half years since I’d last modelled at Tanner Street Life Drawing – albeit I posed here as part of a sound bath event for Spirited Bodies in December 2015. Where does the time go? This evening it went with pose times of 5-minutes, 5, 5, 5, 10 and 15-minutes.
After the 15-minute pose – a signature upright stance with one arm over my head and the other crooked behind my back – we had a break for tea and biscuits. One pose of 50-minutes would fill the second half. Xanthe asked what I had in mind as she liked to draw portraits. I settled into a twisted seated position that shared me in the round.
My left hand went numb within quarter of an hour of the pose starting. I was permitted to shake back life into it halfway through but subsequently realised I hadn’t returned it to its original position. Happily there were no complaints and the drawings were great; not least Xanthe’s portrait in her diary. Good to be back.
“Bring props!” was the farewell suggestion when Esther and I left The Prince Regent at the end of a fine duo session last month. We’d been blessed with two bookings for SketchPad Drawing this term, and organiser Lisa was thinking ahead to the second. I’m not flush with props myself, so my preparation was to arrive first and buy the wine. Esther, on the other hand, rocked up with rope, bridal veil, bow and arrow, shimmering wings, sparkling dress and some kick-ass heels.
We had a greater turn-out of artists this evening so, alas, unlike last month we weren’t able to pose together for the whole session. Instead, we began in separate rooms; me bare with the rope and Esther in brilliant clothes that reduced to just wings and socks. We opened with a 10-minute standing pose then followed it with three 3-minute poses and three 5-minute poses. For 25-minutes up to the break, I was asked to reprise one of my shorter poses – laying down with feet resting on a level above me.
Whilst we were posing, Lisa had clearly been making assessments. She decided that for the second half it must be possible to bring all the artists together in a single room after all. Esther and I would embrace across a pair of tables in one long pose – Esther in bridal veil and heels, and both of us with half-full wine glasses to hand. After slightly too long luxuriating into position, we were set fair for the duration. Only one movement subsequently proved essential: Esther sneaking a swift sip of Rioja.
It was a lovely evening with a great group, as is always the case here. It got a bit brisk at times, but we had props and each other for warmth. Only the bow and arrow did not get used – I’d last seen them in action for Esther’s performance of Girl in Suitcase at the Telegraph Hill Festival 2015, and we’d used the veil and rope together for Girl in Suitcase at Telegraph Hill Festival 2016. Happy memories… and each new session brings more.
Most people, it seems, prefer to draw female models. This sweeping generalisation is based solely on informal conversations, and appears to be irrespective of each artist’s gender or sexual orientation. The question came up at The Star by Hackney Downs, where a late female cancellation and stand-in male replacement the previous Tuesday meant I would be the third male model in succession for Drawing the Star – despite the best efforts of organiser Catherine Hall to alternate the sexes…
I pondered the extent to which a run of maleness might have contributed to us getting a surprisingly low turn-out of artists this evening. Being a member of the least popular traditional binary gender doesn’t disconcert me, however. I can only be myself, giving the best of myself at each booking, and know that dedicated life drawing artists value diversity and the fresh challenges it brings. We opened with poses of 5-minutes, 4, 3, 2-minutes, three of 1-minute, three of 30-seconds, and two of 10-minutes.
As is always the case with this group, irrespective of numbers, the mood was positive and appreciative of the shapes I created. I offer straight lines and angles, with unusual proportions and contortions; not soft curves or hard muscles. I like to think that artists who haven’t drawn me before will see afresh and think anew the human figure, not just regurgitate from previous practice. At some time or another, everybody goes through a stage of not fitting me on the page – they laugh and learn and try again and improve.
After a break, it was thrown open for artists to decide the kind of pose they would like to draw in the last half-hour. One requested something similar to a crouching pose I’d held earlier, with folded body and angled limbs, whilst another didn’t mind but wanted to start with a couple of 2-minute poses so they could warm-up with a new technique. That all sounded okay to Catherine and me, so I went 2-minutes inverted, followed by 2-minutes reaching upwards, then 25-minutes sitting arched and crooked.
I’m pretty sure a good time was had by all, with some great drawings produced during the course of the session. Thank you to Jorijn, Kimberley and Catherine for permitting me to photograph your works and share them here. The run of maleness comes to an abrupt halt next week, yet the challenging poses will continue assuredly when Esther returns to model. I shall return too as an artist – trying and doubtless failing to capture her magnificence. Hopefully many of Hackney’s regular artists will be back to join us.
I arrived at Trinity Square Gardens a tad before 2pm and found Esther already there, fresh from life modelling in Aldgate. People with bikes were loitering about, bathing in warm sunshine on park benches or lounging on well manicured grass. We applied our sun cream and waited for friends. Cy and Natansky appeared first, then Adrian, Chas, Paula, and many more familiar faces – all veterans of the London Naked Bike Ride.
As in the last three years, Nat was instrumental to organising the start at Tower Hill, but this year Cy took the lead in promoting it and devising some new twists and turns for the route. He even sweet-talked Esther, me and Chas into acting as ride marshals. We accepted the trappings of officialdom: insurance documents, letters of notification, directions, maps, fluorescent armbands… even branded saddle covers and whistles.
Natansky gets the paramedics on side
Next consideration: when to undress? Paula took the initiative, so Esther and I found a hidden corner of the gardens in which to start our own preparations. Esther painted herself green cycle shorts with silver body and legs, topped off with an all-green face, whilst I made my top half gold and went bright orange from the waist down. When we re-emerged, naked and dazzling, it was to the gratifying sound of oohs and aahs.
Ready to roll
At ten-to-three Nat decided it was time for us to line-up in readiness to depart. Cy led us out, followed by Esther, then me. Chas brought up the rear with a walkie-talkie link to Cy, whilst Nat roved between, trying to impose a semblance of organisation on 200 naked or semi-naked cyclists. Regular marshal, Simon rocked up with sound system in tow, while another veteran – non-nude, fluorescent-clad – was ready to halt traffic.
Cy and Esther show the way
Lots of non-participants with cameras surrounded us, but unlike previous years when their voyeuristic tendencies had been irksome or even unpleasant, perhaps word had got around that civility costs nothing. The vibe was good and everybody played nicely. Tourists drifted over from the Tower of London and people spilled out of restaurants to join in photographing us. We were pure street theatre.
Ready…
Steady…
The conditions were gorgeous – sunny but lightly cool – some of the best weather we have ever had on a ride. At 3pm we were due to move out. We heard the church bells of All Hallows by the Tower but a message from the rear said that people were still massing. It was five past when Nat joined us on the front line to oversee traffic control and, at last, gave us the all-clear to go.
Wait for it… – © keiththfc
GO! – © keiththfc
As usual from Trinity Square, we turned right into Byward Street then continued along Lower Thames Street and Upper Thames Street. New for 2017, however, was an early switch south of the river via Queen Street Place and over Southwark Bridge. Originally the intention was to cross via London Bridge but plans were changed after a terrorist attack both there and at Borough Market, killed eight people just seven days before.
Respectful distance
Esther and I paused the ride on Southwark Bridge as a mark of quiet respect. London Bridge had reopened, so in theory we could have done this at the scene, but we felt it was too soon. No matter how well intentioned we were, our presence would feel like a frivolous intrusion on the grief of relatives mourning there. Each year we remember the many cyclists killed on London’s roads – now this new awfulness.
Give peace a chance
Upon restarting, boisterous spirits were soon rediscovered as we ventured into wholly uncharted territory for a London Naked Bike Ride: down Southwark Bridge Road for a right into Sumner Street, then round the southern side of Tate Modern and right again into Southwark Street. One last right at the traffic lights took us into Blackfriars Road. This novel deviation had been very much Cy’s baby. Round of applause for Cy!
Making sure we’re seen at the back of Tate Modern
Hitting the north on Blackfriars Bridge
North, south, north, south
Once across Blackfriars Bridge, the manoeuvres required to get us down onto Victoria Embankment proved far more fiddly than I think anybody had imagined. A tight narrow dogleg and traffic lights conspired to make sure it took an age for us all to get through. Those of us at the front simply parked our bikes and waited for the strung-out masses to regroup. Only whilst watching this did I appreciate how many of us there were.
Waiting for the pack to catch up
Victoria Embankment carried us deep into tourist country. Encouraging cheers came from all sides as we made leisurely progress around its gentle curve, pedalling below Hungerford Bridge then sweeping right into Northumberland Avenue. Magic happened as we encountered a wedding party posing for their photographer – we made sure the happy couple were left with a very special set of memories.
On Northumberland Avenue – all you need is…
Groups of naked cyclists from across London should all converge on Trafalgar Square simultaneously and continue onwards together. That’s the idea. From Northumberland Avenue we could see other riders ahead, but had no idea if this was some or all of the number expected. We just joined the pack and carried on left into Whitehall and down Parliament Street, into Bridge Street and along Westminster Bridge Road.
Flaunting our colours on Whitehall
Crossing Westminster Bridge at 4pm, according to the big clock
Led astray
We crossed Westminster Bridge with minimal hesitation and a momentum that swung us round onto York Road with greater ease than in bygone years. The trouble was that we weren’t supposed to be on York Road – we should have been pursuing a new route along Lower Marsh, Baylis Road, Waterloo Road on to Waterloo Bridge. Esther yelled to those in front but they were too many and too far. We had little choice but to follow.
Nooooo… not that way, the other way!
Inadvertently then, we crowded into Forum Magnum Square, our old mustering space south of the Thames. At least it meant we could socialise. We found our friend Paula, and I also managed to catch up with Nat. She told me that riders from two other start points were already waiting for us way ahead at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Enthusiasm had clearly gotten the better of them. Personally, I was happy to take my time.
Hey, it’s Paula!
Riders at Forum Magnum Square… those who hadn’t raced ahead
So: half the ride was in the wrong place, at Forum Magnum Square, and the other half had the wrong timing, being at Lincoln’s Inn Fields way too soon… but apart from that, the sun was still shining and smiles were the predominant feature. After a short break, we were back on our bikes and continued with the ancient version of our route, exiting via Belvedere Road and then taking Concert Hall Approach up to Waterloo Bridge.
Exiting the square – © Mark Nolan
Sightseeing on Belvedere Road
On Waterloo Bridge – © D.Ski
Convergence at last
Riders often linger for photos on the relatively clear pavements of Waterloo Bridge, but this year we rolled on. A surprise awaited us at the north end as a familiar voice called out. It was our friend, Cova, taking part for the first time. We chatted while stuck traffic at Lancaster Place, then burst forth on to Strand, around Aldwych – where weirdly our numbers always seem to thin out – then Strand again, and left into Chancery Lane.
Before the law, at the Royal Courts of Justice on Strand
We had almost caught up with the groups ahead of us. On Chancery Lane, we cycled between The Law Society to the left and King’s College to the right, before swinging a left into Carey Street. Here we passed venerable legal chambers such as The Knights Templar and The Seven Stars before of a right turn into Serle Street. Directly ahead of us lay Lincoln’s Inn Fields and an encouraging crowd of naked folk.
The greeting party at Lincoln’s Inn Fields
Now at last we could have an official rest break. We dismounted from our bikes, used the loos, caught up with various friends and indulged numerous people who wanted to photograph us or be photographed with us. Agents from The Coconut Collaborative even dared entering the mêlée to give out free pots of yoghurt – greatly appreciated. It was good to get moving again, however, as a chill wind had begun to make itself felt.
All the fun of unexpectedly meeting a friend
To the finish
Esther and I were near the back when the ride got underway again, but it didn’t matter as our marshalling duties were long since over. As usual, we completed a double loop of Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Newman’s Row, Lincoln’s Inn Fields – then exited via Remnant Street across Kingsway into Great Queen Street. From there: Long Acre, Bow Street, Wellington Street, Tavistock Street and Southampton Street… to Covent Garden.
Our adoring public on Wellington Street
About to hit the cob-b-b-b-b-les of Covent Garden
From Covent Garden the next major milestone is Trafalgar Square. Around this time, I suddenly remembered I hadn’t taken my traditional ‘reflection selfie’ in a shop window. Despite a couple of belated attempts, I couldn’t find a clear opportunity… Never mind! On to Henrietta Street, Bedford Street, Chandos Place, William IV Street, St Martin’s Place, around Trafalgar Square – huge cheers – and beneath Admiralty Arch.
Facing down the National Portrait Gallery
Nelson’s Column, a red bus and hoards of tourists
In the pack at Trafalgar Square – © Richard
Underneath the arches, Admiralty-style
Reflections? Pah! Proper selfie
No apologies for saying it every year: the long cycle up the Mall remains a highlight of the London Naked Bike Ride. To be naked and carefree on this pristine flag-bedecked highway at the heart of monarchy and government, for me, encapsulates the essence of body freedom that we celebrate. After a bit of lingering outside Buckingham Palace, we rode up Constitution Hill and, finally, were shepherded to our finish at Green Park.
On the Mall
Trooping the Colour – © Les Bo
A pause and the palace – © Edward Allen
Made it to Green Park – all credit to the organisers
Woo! Yeah!
We left our Tower Hill start at 3:05pm and had crossed the finishing line in Green Park at 5:20pm – but of course one never truly wants it to end. Slowly we pushed our bikes along the pavement towards Wellington Arch, looking for some celebratory last hurrah before reluctantly getting back into our clothes. And we found the very thing!! A crowd gathered round a ghetto blaster that was pumping out ‘Jump Around‘! Jump! Jump!
Jump around! – © keiththfc
Perfection. After getting our groove on for a while we managed to catch up with friends too – Richard, a fellow life model; Chas; Cy; and non-participants, Peter and Raid who were taking it all in from the sidelines. Even when we said our goodbyes, had dressed and were cycling back through south London, we still didn’t feel quite ready to call it a day. A celebratory drink was needed, so we popped into The Montague Arms.
Repose at last
Bar staff were commendably unperturbed by the silver and green woman with her gold and red man ordering glasses of wine. We washed our hands and took care not to get paint on the sofa into which we slumped. This pub has sentimental significance for us, so it was a doubly refreshing way to end the day. Prolonged showering still lay ahead, but not before we’d relaxed. Mmmm. Now, let’s relive the whole ride in Cy’s video…
World Naked Bike Ride
The ride demonstrates the vulnerability of cyclists and is a protest against car culture. WNBR is a worldwide campaign with a number of linked themes. Its objectives are:
- 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
Previously on the London Naked Bike Ride:
- 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
I’ve been visiting the Garrett Centre for Wednesday and Friday evening life drawing meet-ups since the summer of 2013. Sessions had previously taken place in the main hall but a change of circumstances meant a switch of location… and some innovation. Wednesdays now have a model in each of two rooms beneath the hall; one dedicated to short poses, the other to long, trading places at half-time.
I arrived first so was allowed to choose the room in which I would like to begin; I opted to open with short poses. As ever here, I commenced with a 10-minute pose that gave time for latecomers to settle before we got into the really short stuff. Many latecomers joined us. Every seat was taken as we moved on to three poses of 2-minutes, three of 5-minutes, and two of 15-minutes. I mixed new poses with some old favourites.
During the interval, while artists enjoyed their breads with assorted dips, I took photos of the artworks then gathered my clothes and carried them to the next room. This was a quieter space with fewer seats, half of which were destined to remain empty. Just as at other venues where I work: if there’s a choice on offer, the majority prefer short. Five artists were with me nonetheless, so I asked what kind of pose they would like…
“Not reclining” was the only stipulation I received. Thus, as the previous model had sat on the floor, that left me the honourable default option of standing – or at least staying upright. In a far corner of the room I’d noticed a high chair, so I decided on a pose akin to the 2-hour one that dominated my Monday evening in Blackheath. Great drawings were the admirable outcome – from both rooms. I like this new format!
On the morning of this booking I had a winter flu vaccination. No pain nor side effects, I’m happy to report. Unfortunately, illness had already taken its toll on me, as a nasty cold last week meant I couldn’t attend The Night Horse and the Holy Baboon – an exhibition of artwork by this evening’s tutor, Victoria Rance. When Victoria arrived at The Conservatoire she was already exhausted from spending the afternoon packing everything away, but it had been a success so spirits were high. We began with short poses: three of 1-minute, one of 5-minutes and one of 10-minutes.
Having warmed-up our twelve artists, we moved on to the session’s long pose – set to occupy the 2-hours from 8pm to 10pm. Let us review the dynamics… First comes the selection of a suitable pose in the round. We considered perching on a piano seat but this felt too folded and uninspiring, so next we tried a high chair. As I randomly leaned against it with one arm resting on its back, Victoria suggested this could be my poise for the rest of the evening. Very well. I removed my robe and made myself comfortable while artists made their first marks. I remained thus for 30-minutes before a time-out.
I’d been offered a break after 20-minutes, but felt settled so was happy to continue for another ten. Before I was permitted to move, Victoria navigated around me marking all the points where my limbs or body touched a surface. After relaxing and stretching for about fifteen minutes, the next challenge was to rediscover the original pose. Only my left hand needed tweaking a few times before we carried on for a further 25-minutes. It is curious that resumed positions are never quite as comfy as new positions. I believe this is because we relax into new positions but must use muscles to recreate them.
A second stretch-break also lasted a generous 15-minutes as one of the artists kindly shared a bottle of wine to celebrate Victoria’s recent show – a very nice gesture. After this we had time for a final 20-minutes in pose. It had taken around ten minutes to get started, and we ended five minutes early so everybody would have a chance to look at the completed drawings – I reckon I was posing for nearly an hour and a quarter of the maximum possible two hours. Thus, there is more to life drawing than merely drawing; allow for preparation, scrutiny, rest, adjustment, interaction… the life in life drawing.
steve ritter 