Drawing the moving figure was pushed to the limit last week when Emma came on her skates and careened around the gallery.
People with sketch books and boards leaning precariously on hips, and others on their knees followed her, as she demonstrated the strength and grace of the gesture and movement involved in roller derby skating.
After a little while to warm up, everyone found their own way to notate the characteristic skating turns, knees bent out like a ballet dancer but with the added incongruous mechanics of skates raising the body four inches from the ground. This added some difficulty in trying to keep the body in proportion, especially as it was in motion. Aside from that the skates and elbow pads had a good effect on the excitement of drawing. Finding the way through the doing, and being overwhelmed by something new, exploring through marks and splodges without a chance to filter what was seen too soon, that was the best part of the morning.
