The Empty Throne

Hello, Dear Reader. If you came here expecting a review of the new Bernard Cornwell book, then I'm afraid I must disappoint you. Although I have just purchased it, and am looking forward to renewing my acquaintance with the mighty Uhtred of Bebbanburg, there is no review here.

No, this post is about something more mundane - seating. Now, as painters and modellers, we spend an inordinate amount of time on our backsides, which can't be good for us, and if you suffer with back/hip issues as I do, it can become a serious issue.

For a number of months, because I paint at the dining room table, I have been using a normal dining chair like this:



The damn thing is so soft however, that it gives very little support, and I have found it aggravating what I refer to as Painter's Arse (or Ass for our American friends), This can be anything from a dull ache to outright stabbing pains that bring out the Anglo-Saxon in me (appropriately enough)!

I have also tried my computer chair -

and whilst it's comfortable, the arms touch the table long before I do, leading to a leaning stance which is not good for the posture. So it was back to the dining room chair with the addition of this lumbar support: 

 

 

When this proved pretty ineffectual I began to despair, and so I found my way to IKEA clutching my credit card, with a steely glint of final resolution in my eye - I would not leave until I had found the perfect Painting Chair!

 

Like Goldilocks I tried any number of chairs - big ones, medium ones and even some small ones (I was particularly impressed with this one that had an integral painting tray, but couldn't squeeze into it - poorly designed if you ask me):

 

 

 

 

 

After much trialling of seating, in various departments, and garnering some strange looks from passers-by (I probably should've changed out of my onesie before leaving home), I found one that felt just right:

 

 

This is the Hendriksal and it is simple, firm, solid and upright and thus far delightful to sit on - I hope that first impressions are correct and I will be able to sit for long periods without pain.

 

So am I alone - do some of you youngsters have no issues with what you sit on, and is it an age thing, or does it depend on how long you devote to your hobby? I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has had to resort to sourcing a chair just to continue their painting, or if there are any easy solutions to the problem! I suspect posture has an awful lot to do with it, but I'm no doctor.....

 

At the moment I am very optimistic, and can now catch up with the lead/plastic mountain in comfort. However, if the chair fails to live up to expectations I may resort to one of these:

 

 

 

 

Until next time...........