Arts by Jodee Clifford

From Life Drawing to Exhibition: Naked in New Hope

Apr 29, 2026

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I’m honored to have a piece included in Naked in New Hope 2026, a group exhibition at New Hope Arts in New Hope, Pennsylvania, on view May 8 through June 7, 2026.

The human form has been one of my central subjects. Plucked right out of my artist statement, “My work is an exploration of literal and conceptual human form relationships using both traditional + non-traditional art materials and methods.”

Across series such as Figures on Clothes, First Impressions, and other figurative studies, I return again and again to drawing and painting the figure as a way of exploring presence, gesture, and narrative.

Morgan Lying, conte on paper

The Figure as Practice

Figure drawing has always been foundational in my work. It’s less about producing a finished image and more about observation — learning how light moves across form, how posture reveals emotion, and how quickly a moment can shift.

Outside of the art program at Stockton, some of my earlier experiences with life drawing were at the Ocean City Fine Arts League, back when it was located on 9th & Asbury in Ocean City. I would draw alongside the late Jim Pennland and Joe Kardonne, which definitely influenced how I approached studying the figure.

Later, when Meed kept the life drawing group going at the Ocean City Arts Center, that sense of continuity in the community was incredibly meaningful.

Community

One of the things I miss most is that regular community of artists gathering simply to draw from life together. There’s something unique about a room full of people all seeing the same form in different ways.

I’ve also had the opportunity to attend sessions with groups like Dr. Sketchy’s in Philadelphia and New York, which brought a different kind of energy to figure drawing — more performative, more spontaneous, but still rooted in direct observation.

One of my favorite memories was convincing Hervé to jump in and draw during a session at Flûte in New York. It was one of those unexpected, lighthearted moments that stays with you because it breaks the usual boundaries of who is observing and who is participating.

The Dr. Sketchy’s garden session at the Philadelphia Art Museum in 2015 was another standout experience — drawing outdoors at the museum was wonderful.

I’ve also spent time drawing at Philadelphia Sketch Club and the Plastic Club, both of which are deeply important spaces for artists in the region. I don’t make it as often as I’d like, mostly due to the logistics of parking and travel, but the professionalism and energy in those rooms is always worth the effort.

I’ve also had the opportunity to attend life drawing sessions right at New Hope Arts a few times, which take place on the first and last Mondays of the month.

This Exhibition

Naked in New Hope is a continuation of this ongoing engagement with the figure — both as subject and as practice. Being included in this group exhibition is an opportunity to place my work in dialogue with other artists who are also exploring the complexities of the human form.

These kinds of exhibitions especially matter because they extend the conversation beyond the studio. They bring together different approaches, interpretations, and histories of looking at the body — all in one shared space.

Thoughts

Figure work has always been about more than representation for me. It is a practice of attention, repetition, and presence — shaped as much by community as by individual study.

I’m grateful to be part of this exhibition and to continue contributing to that ongoing dialogue.