Back to the Bee's Mouth

As the snow mounts up outside I thought I'd scan last weeks drawings from the life drawing class at The Bee's Mouth Pub. It was the busiest yet and movement and space was limited for both the model and the artists. This time my friend Roni joined Lizzie and I. Roni has NEVER draw before and she found it a draining and emotional experience. I was already impressed with her for turning up and giving it a go. I was even more impressed when I saw how well her drawings came out. I look forward to seeing her develop her style and skills because she has made one hell of a strong start for a first timer.

I myself struggled a little with having a female life model...not because I was shy you understand....it's just I find the softer shapes of the female form more of a challenge then drawing the male figure. I'm not sure why, I think my style just sits better with sharper angles and straighter lines.

Finally, I dug out this old life drawing from my university days as Lizzie was taking about may be trying to use an ink pot and dip pen next time. I was sure I had done some life drawing with a dip pen...this is the only evidence I could find. It is not that I decided not to draw the model in this class, it was that the model did not turn up! The tutor insisted that we carry on as planned and draw the space without the model. I still remember him informing some French exchange students that the model was merely 'the cherry on the cake' and one of them writing this down in her notes baffled.

Once More Into The Bee's Mouth

After about four weeks absence last night Lizzie and I returned to Brighton's charming little public house The Bee's Mouth for more life drawing. It was the busiest I've seen it, which makes me suspect there have been a number of Brighton based New Year's Resolutions made around being more creative. Everyone seemed happy to squash in and the atomosphere seemed more open than usual. People talked a little, drawings weren't hidden quite so fast. It was nice.

The lady (her name escapes me) who normally runs the show was on holiday and the twist of this week was that the class was being run by one of the life models (her name also escapes me but she made it into the second drawing below). Doing the actual modelling was the original model from our first session in the curtained back room. I think his name is David...thought it is quite possible his name has escaped me. "You'll be happy" Lizzie whispered to me and she was not wrong. David....if that is his name, I can't be certain.... is perfect to draw, a long thin strip of knotted muscles and elongated limbs. He looks like an Egon Schiele selfportrait in the flesh.

I mixed things up like a mad man....instead of using black in I used sepia coloured ink! I know, I'm pushing the boundaries of free thinking and creativity almost to breaking point. The sepia pens were a gift from my neuroscientist hypnotherapist friend Lynne and I needed to break them in. It's pretty nice drawing in brown for a change.

Cats and Bobs

Two of my oldest and closest friends had themselves birthdays. I made them presents. Hannah as a child had a cat fetish that extended as far as a shrine to cats.... she got over this but the rest of us never have and she has never escaped the nickname 'Hannah Cats'. Hence her presents.

Our friend Alan does not have a cat fetish, he does have a Mark Knopfler fetish...which is far more disturbing. More naturally Alan also loves Bob Dylan....especially when Bob got Mark in to play on his track Blind Willie McTell. Alan (to his excitement) saw them play together a year ago...and they weren't selling commemorative chinaware oddly. I rectified this over sight. Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler together on a plate and bowl...with my favourite lyrics from Blind Willie McTell on their heads.
I'm a great friend.