Life Drawing: Model as Muse

York Art Gallery is running a life drawing workshop, Model as Muse, on Saturday 10 October from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. It's led by Rob Oldfield, a York-based artist and tutor who's spent years modelling for life classes himself before moving to the other side of the easel to teach. The session pairs a live model with a reproduction of a work from the gallery's collection, chosen specifically to inspire the drawing, so you've got both a real person and a classic piece to work from at the same time. Basic materials are provided, though you're welcome to bring your own if you have a particular set of pencils or charcoal you prefer.

The workshop is part of a series running through autumn and winter, with sessions on the second Saturday of each month: 31 October and 12 December 2026, and 9 January 2027, all from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. There's also a family version, Family Life Drawing, led by Oldfield, for those who want to bring the younger ones along. The whole thing is run by York Museums Trust.

The sessions take their lead from the gallery's exhibition Turner, Wedgwood & Beyond: Inspired by Flaxman, which celebrates the life and legacy of the York-born designer and sculptor John Flaxman and his influence on art and design since the eighteenth century. It brings together Flaxman's illustrations of Homer's Odyssey with works of a strong classical theme by J.M.W. Turner, William Blake, Angelica Kauffman and Josiah Wedgwood, so the classical figure is the common thread running through the room. If you're planning to go, the exhibition is the best place to see the kind of work that's inspiring the drawing.

It's £15 per person, adults only (18+), and the gallery is at Exhibition Square, York, North Yorkshire YO1 7EW. The 10 October session runs from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.