The Queen’s Rd Life Room 1972-5
After I graduated, for the next three years I drew at the life room in the Royal West of England Academy on Queen’s Rd., Bristol. This was a Victorian purpose built north light life studio, over 2000sq ft where they had two models posing 42 hrs/week. It was here I really learned to draw. I went to all the life sessions I could, which was 42 hours for the academic years 1972-3 and 1974-5. In the year 1973-4 I took art teachers qualifications, PGCA & ATD at the University over the road and could draw less, though I still drew virtually every day in the Queen’s Rd Life room. At first I focused on getting accurate drawing, but later worked looser and enjoyed the immediacy of watercolour.
Over the next forty-three years control of the Queen’s Rd liferoom was passed around between many different organisations and what went on there gradually became of less and less utility to working artists just trying to keep their hand in at competant life drawing. This is a great pity, I once loved working there, but I last worked there in 2004 and it now appears not to welcome experienced artists.