Hair today, gone tomorrow by Tony Noble
After a week away I was really looking forward to this evenings life drawing session, especially as we had a new model, Lee. I love the unfamiliarity of a new model and always look forward to the search for the physical likeness and character of someone new. Often when I walk through town I see someone who looks so interesting that I’d love to ask them to come down to the studio for a couple of hours, but in this day and age such an approach would almost always be viewed as at best reckless! In Batley and Dewsbury it would almost inevitably end with A&E!
Another reason for looking forward to this evening was one of affirmation after a week in which all three of my submissions to this year’s Sunday Times Watercolour Competition were rejected. The art world has a particular knack and habit of allowing, even encouraging, you to think that you’re getting somewhere and then delivering a swift rebuke to put you in your place, back on the bottom rung of the ladder! Incidentally, after promising to select approximately 100 works the selectors managed to whittle it down to 69, proving irrefutably that less is more. Thank you selectors. Next year when they ask for the £45 entry fee I think I’ll send them £30 on the basis that £30 is approximately £45. I'm not bitter.............
I found drawing Lee difficult - I always find hirsute men problematic as the hair confuses the body surface making it difficult to see, understand and describe - that's my excuse! Cathy came up with an ingenious solution - virtual shaving! Why do I always see things so literally?
Patrick and Roger H both opted for a portrait, thus finding hair in its right and proper place on top of the head. I really like the subdued, cool palette chosen by Patrick and only wish we'd had more time to enable him to develop this painting further. Roger gets an extra brownie point for including the specs which Lee needed to wear to ensure that he didn't fall off the plinth.
Fiona opted for painting, producing a very physical, sculptural piece making me wonder of the influence of Fiona's new place of work, Hepworth Wakefield. Interesting.
Like Cathy, Roger S and Sandra went for watercolour studies, all three working quickly, treating the material with just the right balance of contempt and respect to ensure a rich, vital finish. Again a bit more time would have been so useful - I would have loved to have seen what Sandra would have done with the background to develop the contre jour effect.
Sue, I think, best captured the character and presence of Lee in her large charcoal study, whilst Yvonne went for the virtual shaven look in her monumental pastel drawing, her use of crimson reminding me of my early attempts with a razor (age 12) which were always, I hasten to say, restricted to my face!
Steven and I both opted for our usual pencil studies, Steven producing another beautiful study of the figure in its space.
Plans for our new, state-of-the-art waxing parlour are already on the table and we will shortly be launching our appeal for volunteers to enable Tom and I to develop and perfect our technique! Ivan's the first one up, though we're trying hard to think of a good way to break it to him. Tracey suggests the involvement of alcohol, but I'm not sure whether we're supposed to drink it or rub it on. What do you think?
Paintings and drawings by Cathy, Fiona, Patrick, Sandra, Steven, Tony, Yvonne, Roger H, Roger S and chosen artist Sue.
