An attorney, a technical writer and a history teacher walk into a room. No, this isn't this start of a bad joke -- it's about a group of amateur artists who get together monthly for figure-drawing sessions and breakfast.
"Figure drawing," for the uninitiated, is sketching the human form from a nude body.
At Barely Brunch, people with skill levels from doodling to professional techniques gather Saturday mornings at the Brew House on the South Side. A nude model poses in the middle of a circle of artists, armed with graphite, pastels, charcoal, clay and paper. The room is silent with the exception of sweeping pencil strokes across the pages, hushed conversations among artists and the mellow lyrics of Neil Young. Every person in the room is an artist, but not necessarily by profession.
Fran Frederick, 57, of Mt. Lebanon, works as an attorney by day, giving legal advice over the phone. But when Frederick leaves the office, she's an artist.
"I work a very 9-to-5 job. When I'm at work, I'm thinking with the left brain ... I'm very rational," Frederick said. "Now, I'm trying to discipline myself to draw more."
Frederick always enjoyed drawing. At one time, she struggled with the decision of whether to go to art school or law school. She chose law because she thought it was "more practical."
After 20 years of an on-and-off attorney career, Frederick started looking for an organized artistic outlet. She found Barely Brunch when it was just developing four years ago and now tries to come six to seven times a year.
"This (Barely Brunch) seemed like the best environment. They get good models. It's good light, and because its an industrial place, you don't have to worry about messing anything up," Frederick said.
Barely Brunch started in September 2002 with help from a Sprout Fund grant to develop adult education programs at the Brew House. The former home of the Duquesne Brewing plant serves local artists as a live-and-work space with a gallery and performance stage on the first floor.
The figure-drawing sessions, popular in many major cities such as New York City and San Francisco, are open to any artistic medium, with the exception of photography. Barely Brunch is just one of Pittsburgh's open figure-drawing sessions, but one of the few with a selection of fresh bread and refreshments when the artists take a break.
Pat Barefoot, an art teacher at Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon universities, co-founded Barely Brunch. On Saturday, she watched the room full of artists diligently work on their sketches. Some come to make sketches for larger independent projects. Some come just to practice.
"It's great when you see these young people who do other things and so many ages," Barefoot said.
Anne Trimble, 53, of Mt. Lebanon, is new to the Barely Brunch sessions, but said she's been sketching since she could hold a pencil. While taking a break to sample the bread, Trimble said she dreams of leaving her career as a technical writer one day to become a full-time artist or illustrator.
"I love open model sessions because you can come one time, and you don't have to sign up for a class," Trimble said. "It's honing my drawing skills. The more I draw, the better I can get."
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