The sun was in flirtatious mood, one minute here, the next gone, while leaves and branches, tickled by the soft breeze, swayed and rustled gently. “I hope the changing shadows isn’t a problem for everybody?” queried the model. “That’s the joy of en plein air!” responded an artist, who had clearly experienced this before. So began the final 50-minute pose of the first ever life drawing session hosted by The Turrill Sculpture Garden, 18th August 2021.
The group of artists assembled that morning to enjoy the pleasure of drawing from the model in the open air, with the garden and sculptures providing an inspiring and delightful backdrop.
The session began with a few short gesture poses in front of the stone fountain, observed closely by the heads and figurines of Louise Allison. Moving over to the magnificent birch tree that forms a gateway to the rest of the garden, the poses lengthened to 10 and then 15 minutes, before the final reclining pose on a bench, backed by David Williams’ Falling Leaves 2 stone-carving, and framed by Chris Beckett’s fused glass sculptures.
Seeking out new spaces for poses, which changes background and angle of light, intensifies the challenge, making outdoor life drawing a truly remarkable and gratifying experience. All you need is a private space and some stunning backgrounds. The sun and breeze are a bonus!
Life drawing will return to The Turrill Sculpture Garden in summer 2022…
