Oh Sue,
Thanks for posting that lovely sketch by Henry, it's really similar to the ones he did of me! I have one of the pastels sketches he did of me in my bedroom. He kindly mounted it for me and gave me it after a sitting, saying "You can buy a yaught with this when I'm gone!"
It WAS quite an experience sitting for Henry! He originally asked my neighbour when they were on the same bus! She did a few sittings and then told him about me (he wanted to know if I was big cos he liked his girls v plump) and so she asked if I would like to go one day! Don't know what gave me the courage to do it but I'm so glad I did!
I used to pick him up and take him to the studio in the middle of town. An amazing top floor attic completely chocca with thousands of drawings and paintings! He'd surround me with little electric heaters so I didnt get cold...and I just ALWAYS fell asleep! He was very eccentric, and during breaks in drawing he would insist that I ate fresh cream cakes! And all through the sittings he would tell me wonderful stories about the famous people he had met, and the places he had been with his beloved wife, actress Freda Jackson.
Henry would often invite me and the children to his gorgeous house, where they would run around the orchard and pick apples! The house was like an art gallery, huge paintings on every square inch of wall! And in later years when he became ill, my neighbour and I used to make his meals for him.
Lovely, lovely talented man.
(Oh...and Sue... definitely NOT gorgeous, just FAT! :banana dancer: )