2nd entry for May 21, 2009

These were 15-minute poses. I had to leave early, so there were't too many studies done that night.

1st entry for May 21, 2009

On Tuesday I was at Artists 25, but the model that night was not comfortable with the idea of having images of himself posted online. Permission is an important component of this process, and I remain impressed by how many of the people who model have graciously given their consent to present these drawings.

So forward to Thursday. No drawing room session, so instead I dropped in at the TSA, where E- was working. These poses were 5 and 10 minutes.

1st entry for May 17, 2009

On the Sunday day it was Z- , the apple of my eye, who was working at the TSA. I still didn't arrive on time (Sunday mornings are the hardest), but regretted that, as it was a very crowded morning in the studio. These range, top to bottom: 5 minutes, 10 minutes and two 15-minute poses. I'm very happy with the smiling face of Z- . I feel it records an aspect of her that I recognise.

3rd entry for May 15, 2009

All these poses were in the 15-minute and 20-minute range. G- 's work was really good that night, I felt.

2nd entry for May 15, 2009

These were all in the 10-minute to 15-minute range. The night was a little uncomfortable for me at the start, as it was the first time I had spoken with G- since his prior session at Artists 25 (April 28th). That was the session where i expressed ambivalence about some of the pose choices & garnered a bit of debate.

G- came over to talk, and was very pleasant and civil, which came as a relief, and we had a chance to follow through with a bit more discussion. His poses on the Friday night were very good, I thought (you can see for yourself) and he was mindful of the different group dynamic at the TSA.

1st entry for May 15, 2009

On Friday, G- was over at yje TSA. It was the first time we'd communicated since the whole kerfuffle about his Artists 25 session (April 28th). His poses on this night were very dramatic and sculptural. These are 1-minute and 5-minute poses.

2nd entry for May 14, 2009

My arriving late also meant I wasn't in my accustomed place. I was wondering as I worked that perhaps the responses I have built up in drawing these ultra-short poses were perhaps dependent on very controlled conditions. I think that is likely part true; the most information can be set down when everything is in its most familiar configuration. But some of that carries over into any drawing I do, I believe.

After a long break, P- did a series of 5 and 10-minute poses on a combination of hoop and trapeze. As before when this has been used, I liked the mix of round and straight-line elements framing the figure. Towards the evening's end I was finding my bearings, but it wasn't a banner drawing night. Ah, well....

1st entry for May 14, 2009

On the Thursday I went to Diane's Drawing Room session. I was late, owing to a nap that ran too long. I was also tired and a little edgy that night, no doubt also due to being weary. Nothing was going smoothly. The music was jarring; I wasn't finding a good rhythm, etc. No fault of the space or anything - just got up on the wrong side of the couch. But I stayed and soldiered on, albeit getting a little over-vigourous & noisy in my shading at times (feeling embarassed, at the same time, of my lack of maturity in dealing with frustration).
Most of the efforts weren't worth documenting.
These studies of P- range from 2 minutes to 5 minutes.

3rd entry for May 12, 2009

These were all 20-minute poses. I was impressed by how C- was able to 'double-cross' her legs while sitting. But more than that, trying to set down her expression was the big concern in drawing her. It wasn't bang-on, but I came close.

In that regard, though these are full-figure drawings, I still see them as portraits. On one hand, the sitters being undressed can be seen as better showing their 'true', unadorned selves. But alternately, it is an even more artificial way to encounter someone than when they are clothed.

2nd entry for May 12, 2009

These were both 10-minute poses.

1st entry for May 12, 2009

These are three 2-minute and one 5-minute study of C- from the Tuesday night at Artists 25.

3rd entry for May 10, 2009

These are 15-minute and 20-minute studies. M- gets to be closer and closer to an ecorche sculpture each year, as his skin settles into the valleys between muscles & bones. I used to think of him as someone who could have been Egon Schiele's favourite model. Now his lean muscularity sometimes strikes me - at least in my drawings - as a body that H R Giger could have used for his designs.
either way, he is very compelling to draw.

2nd entry for May 10, 2009

These were 5-minute and 10-minute poses. Drawing M- is always a race against time, as there are so many nooks and crannies ceating shadows, and an expressive face to try to draw as well.

1st entry for May 10, 2009

M- came to work on the Sunday night. It is always a pleasure to draw him, as he puts an energy and intensity into his poses, and that suits his lean, wiry frame.