Figure Drawing in Lee's Summit

I feel like I should contribute to the promotion of this opportunity since I take advantage of it occasionally.. But in case you were an artist in the Kansas City area looking for a good opportunity to do some figure drawing or painting for a magnificent price, it just so happens that such an opportunity has existed in Lee's Summit for quite some time now. 
Every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, a typically small group of us gets together at Got Art Gallery on 3rd Street in historic downtown Lee's Summit for a 3-hour drawing/painting session with a live model (sometimes clothed, sometimes nude) for a price of only $10.  Lately, we've had a format of two 1-hour poses during the session, from 6-9pm (two 1-hour poses + 1 hour for breaks). 
Anyway, the odd thing about this is that so few artists have taken advantage of this great opportunity, and we can't figure out why that is. 
Well, honestly I can figure it out.  For one thing, it is horribly under-promoted.  So hopefully this blog post about it will be 2-cents worth of promotion for any artist or college-age art student who might want to come.  It would be awesome to have you there!
Second, I know for a fact that there are artists or students out there who are terrified of drawing from a live model for the first time.  Whether the model is clothed or nude, the whole concept of drawing from life is completely outside of your comfort zone.  To that I say SUCK IT UP.  If you're serious about becoming better at portrait or figurative drawing and painting, then all time-tested best way of doing that is drawing from life.  Even if portrait and figurative art is not your main interest, it still improves your drawing skill no matter what your interest is!  The bottom line is you will never improve your skill as an artist until you make the decision to do so.  And this is a wonderful way to do it.  This is not a class and there are no instructors or critiques (unless you request such a thing, and in that case there are a few of us who'd be happy to help).  It's just a casual group that loves to draw.  So really, there is nothing to be intimidated about.  Figure drawing is hard.  Even the best artists know that.  So get over it, and join us!  Once you decide to stop being scared of it, and just enjoy the time we have there (it is very enjoyable, by the way), then you'll actually start having fun.
Third, schedules.... Ugh.  Schedules.  Okay, I understand things come up and schedules get in the way.  That's actually why I don't come to every session.  It's just the way it is.  But if you can afford just one 3-hour session on one Thursday night, I can promise it will be worth your while, and you'll want to come again.  All it takes is one or two sessions, and hopefully it will be an enjoyable enough experience that you'll want to actually make these Thursday nights part of your schedule.  And remember, it's only the 1st and 3rd Thursdays.  That's 2 days out of the entire month!  And again, if you're serious about being a better artist, that's not much of a time commitment.  In fact, it's a time investment.
Okay, so that's my infomercial on 1st and 3rd Thursday figure drawing sessions (6-9pm) at Got Art Gallery in Lee's Summit.  Hope it's enough to convince someone out there to give it a shot.
Here is one of my drawings from last night's session:

Figure Study
graphite, white chalk on toned paper
2014