…. as does life-drawing! I was intrigued yesterday to find out how the Ilkley Art School intended to cope with the distancing regulations responding to the current pandemic. Their response was impressive. There is a paved courtyard in front of their studio, and the class moved out there. A large canvas dome had been put up for shelter, and the class took place in the open air, under this. Portable lighting enabled us to see the model. The size of the class had been restricted in order to make sure that we could all see the model clearly and retain “social distance”.
It was just as well that the model was clothed because yesterday evening was the coldest we have had to far. We all set around muffled to the eye-balls. (I actually had my long winter thermal underwear on for the first time this year!) Hot tea was brought out to us at the mid-session break. Looking back at my work this morning I was quite pleased. It was good to feel that we can sustain at least some vestiges of “normality”. I did fear at one time that the classes would have to be suspended.
I was able to cling to another fragment of normality this morning, when I went out for a walk in Thornton Dale to do some sketching. This was the place I noted when out with my wife the other day. It was as interesting as I had suspected it might be, and I came back with two drawings and several reference photographs. I’m looking forward to being able to work up something out of that. My initial impression is that, for the first time in ages, I’m going have to start with a dark-toned paper. An added bonus for the morning was that I was able to sit there munching the blackberries that grew all around.