My third booking with London Drawing this year was my first at their Covent Garden venue: Westminster Quaker Meeting House. It would also be a first chance to work with tutor Josie Deighton – someone I felt I’d known from afar for years without ever having occasion to meet in person. It was a pleasure to put that right.
The wide space of the meeting house hall had room enough for many artists but only three or four were present when I arrived early. One never knows what attendance to expect when somewhere new so I was delighted to see what must have been almost forty artists all keen to draw as we began with five poses of 2 minutes.
Unfazed by the high turnout, Josie diligently worked the room, proffering constructive advice to each individual artist. I too was shown every care and consideration as she frequently checked whether there was anything I might want or need. But I am a very low maintenance life model. 🙂 Poses of 5, 20 and 20 minutes took us to a break.
Artwork by Greg Genestine-Charlton.
Our second half was not wildly dissimilar to the first. Again we started with five poses each of 2 minutes, but so sharply that I barely had time to finish my tea. What else to do except freeze in a dynamic panicked pose with the mug to my lips? One half-hour pose completed a session of great energy and positivity. Thank you, Josie!
As ever at Hesketh Hubbard Art Society sessions, three models were booked: one to stay clothed for portraits, one for a single long nude pose, and one for ‘quick’ nude poses. This evening I was delighted to be back on quicks, but on arriving found most society members were evidently more delighted by the prospect of Layla on long!
Artwork by Simon Whittle.
Artwork by Geoff Ramsey.
Artwork by Simon Whittle.
I reckon I had about a dozen artists attending me – what organiser Simon referred to as ‘the elite’ – whereas Layla had possibly three times as many. She’s a great person and worthy of exceptional attention. But when artists have choices and a minority opt to swim against the tide to see what I can do, I feel obligated to give them everything.
Artwork by Simon Whittle.
Artwork by Geoff Ramsey.
Artwork by Maria Antonia Aracil.
Artwork by Geoff Ramsey.
For the first half I was required to provide four poses of 15 minutes each. I must have made the first a tad too dynamic, standing high with an arm even higher, as at times I felt oddly wobbly and flushed as if with vertigo. I stayed sensible, settled and focused thereafter; still putting in a shift, but preserving enough of myself for after the break.
Artwork by Simon Whittle.
Artwork by Maria Antonia Aracil.
Artwork by Geoff Ramsey.
Artwork by Simon Whittle.
Usually in art spaces my bare feet collect charcoal dust at half-time intervals. Here in genteel Mall Galleries, however, they gather biscuit crumbs. After tea and digestives and a custard cream too many, I finished with two 30-minute poses. The last took my remaining reserves, but… it’s a modelling thing: energised despite pain, I felt strong.
This was my first visit to The Art of Isolation in Surrey Quays since I’d posed as part of their 2023 end-of-year party. There was never going to be the same artist numbers on a Saturday after Easter but it was nice to see several familiar friendly faces.
Artwork by Elin.
Artwork by Helen.
Artwork by Elin.
Artwork by Elin.
Artwork by Natalia Boyarintseva.
This session was focused on ‘foreshortening and anatomy’. I usually showcase these wherever I go as an inevitable consequence of my physique, but here I offered a little extra emphasis. We began with poses of 10, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 5 and 10 minutes.
One pose of 15 minutes completed our first half. I stood in an open stance, left hand on left hip, outstretched right hand supported by a pole, ribs and tendons maximised. Even with all this glorious anatomy on show, some just love to make a portrait. 😀
Artwork by Ned.
We paused for tea and biscuits before setting-up a final pose of 35 minutes. This was the prime study of foreshortening: I sat with legs open and out forwards, arms up and out to the sides. Tutor Rod Kitson led with a challenging drawing demo.
Artwork by Rod Kitson.
Artwork by Elin.
As ever when interesting tuition is going on – in this case, the demo – time absolutely raced by. And at the end… all these glorious drawings. It’s great when there’s a party, but still it’s always a joy being party to the real-time creative process with artists.
Packed! When Waterloo Action Centre fills to near-capacity with life drawing artists, each one silent yet focused and active, the place buzzes with energy that demands a creative response. It’s inspiring for the life model and hopefully all involved.
The scene could hardly have been more different when I arrived, a half-hour early so promo photos could be taken. At that point, me and just one artist were outnumbered by no fewer than three London Drawing tutors! But the balance soon shifted.
After our promo shoot, tutors Anne and Calvin went off to another venue, leaving the keen and engaging Rossen to lead this session. Artists were still arriving and settling into horseshoes of chairs and easels as the clock ticked past our 6:30pm start time
Rossen waited while latecomers – delayed only by weight of numbers – found places from which to draw but there comes a point where we have to get underway, even if a few are still setting-up. We began with one 10-minute pose and four 5-minute poses.
This was my first time working with Rossen but I felt he very quickly understood what my physique could offer. He asked whether the final 5-minute pose – upright, leaning forward with one foot on a chair – could go to 10 minutes, and I happily agreed.
A 20-minute seated pose took us to a break. It was a pity that the sounds of puttering nearby (essential) heater motors plus a resonance in the cavernous girder-supported space meant I couldn’t hear Rossen’s tips for artists as he worked the room.
After the interval, Rossen placed a folded trestle table flat upon the floor and covered its top with padding. This would be my platform for a 45-minute reclining pose, taking us to our finish. With limbs at various angles and elevations, I got comfy.
I hadn’t noticed Anne’s return but she joined us for the end of what was – as she said later in her Instagram post below – a super class. To cap a great evening, I was even given the drawing of me as fallen Icarus (above) as a gift. Thank you!
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.
steve ritter 