Figures in context. I enjoy drawing and painting figures. I enjoy drawing and painting streets and buildings. My art tutor brings in photocopies of figures in context to draw during class and when this one was handed out I knew it was my thing.

The challenge was the medium. I’d already got the hang of acrylics so decided to try using the new set of pastels I’d recently treated myself to. No, not treated, you don’t ‘treat’ yourself to equipment required to do your day job do you?

I still forget that I’m an artist now. That artists are allowed to draw and paint and buy pastels. That drawing and painting in the daytime, when there’s laundry to do and dust on the skirting is more important.

So on Tuesdays I go to my art class to draw and paint figures in context. Figures like the two in pastels above, drawn from a photograph taken in Newcastle’s Bigg Market late at night. Not the usual occurrence. You’d be more likely to see girls in skimpy clothing, sitting on the kerb looking worse for wear, young men larking around or burly bouncers keeping an eye on their high spirited clientele spilling out into the cobbled street.

The photographer should be congratulated for noticing the young lady sharing her fish and chips supper with a street sleeper. A rare moment to warm the heart and restore faith in human nature. Maybe that is what inspired me to reproduce it?