Since the opening of my art show last month, I’ve done almost no art-making. Â And I suppose that’s ok – I’ve come to accept that sometimes my creative endeavors will take a backseat to things like work or home projects or time with friends, but still, I’ve missed the feeling of a paintbrush or a pen in my hands. So when a friend asked me if I wanted to join her for a 3-hour figure drawing session at a gallery in Pioneer Square, I cleared my schedule, grabbed my sketchpad, and settled in for an evening of art-ing. Â This was my first-ever figure drawing session, and I will admit, I went into it with a little concern over the awkwardness that may come from drawing a nude model, but once that big, lovely woman dropped her robe and we all started sketching, any reservations were put to rest. Â I immediately became absorbed in my drawing, studying the model the same way you would study a landscape or a bowl of fruit or any other artistic subject. Â The structure of the session was really good for me, as the bulk of the poses were only two to five minutes, so I didn’t have time to get stuck in the details or try to make anything perfect. Â The length of time that the model stayed in any one pose gradually increased, and we wrapped up the night with a couple of 15-minute poses. Â I walked out of there with a fat stack of sketches and a smile on my face – a totally fabulous evening.
FYI, these sessions occur on the third Tuesday of every month at La Familia gallery in Pioneer Square. Â Entry is only 10 bucks (and well worth it!).