© Sandy Finkenberg

Art is meditation, says William Duke who runs a Life Drawing class at Streamside Yoga in Andes every Thursday night with a live nude model from 4 to 7pm. Charge is $10 to pay the model and there is usually some serious regular talent at this event, like Sandy Finkenberg, Peter Mayer and William Duke, Steve Burnett or Gary Mayer.

It’s the ultimate exercise in focus to be in such esteemed company, but in truth, once you’re sitting at your easel, all else falls away. It’s quite extraordinary how the petty, minor stresses of the day completely evaporate when you have chosen your medium, are focused on the model, and attempting to turn a blank page into something remotely appealing. It’s such a reward to see a sketch gain some life and the camaraderie in the room is always strong.

Many thanks go to our live models who have to lounge around naked while striking a pose.

© Peter Mayer

© J.N. Urbanski