All good things must come to an end.

I am announcing that I am retiring the life-drawing portion of The Keyhole Sessions after our final Session in December.

In 2009, I wanted to find something to exercise my creative muscles, getting my hands literally dirty with graphite after spending too much time behind a desk and computer. When I couldn’t find a life-drawing group that met all my needs, I decided to say “Fuck it; I’ll just start my own”. Through a mutual friend {thanks, Nicole!}, I met JP Robichaud who became our HeadRigger, and we discussed a vision for a life-drawing group that would be different than any other in Toronto {or anywhere, really}. I wanted something more than the traditional classical poses that can be found in any academic art group. I wanted to infuse an attitude that would champion sexuality, kink & the fine art of kinbaku and invite anyone who wanted to dabble in something oft considered taboo.

Within a month, The Keyhole Sessions was born in a small, simple room at Lower Ossington Theatre. With models that I had recruited through Craigslist {“must be open-minded”}, TKS’s first roster included four women, two of which remain dedicated models with us today, Jennifer Rose and Mara. So with a bunch of mats and blankets, some cheap speakers and passion to get this thing off the ground, we worked to make TKS a regular event for people to experience art and sex in a new format.

We hummed along, creating an amazing community of artists and performers, putting on a weekly Session for almost two years. Along the way, our Sessions became bigger. No longer able to fit in Lower Ossington Theatre, we moved to The Great Hall, a space with an ambience to match our aesthetic. The Sessions started making a mark in the city, and our community grew. We moved to monthly Sessions in order to give us enough time to plan, rehearse and design an event that would be worthy of inviting our guests to. I’m also thrilled to have a renewed appreciation for music, as creating custom playlists for every Session to match each theme has seen me filter through thousands of hours of music and hundreds of sources. I’ve been inspired by people, art, music, fashion and books to help me realize the dream that is TKS.

Our final home has been Revival, and their family has welcomed us with open arms. It’s a mighty effort to put on a Session, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the professionalism and enthusiasm of our models, regular dedication from JP, and the undying support of my husband. Our current roster is one I’m extremely proud to have assembled, and their work and friendship has been a gift.

We participated in many off-site events, including Art Battle, fundraisers, and burlesque shows. We’ve also hosted three amazing rogue Nuit Blanche events, as well as two of our own art exhibitions to showcase all the talent we’ve seen at TKS throughout the years. We’ve been on TV, in print and on the radio, which as been hella fun. We expanded our offerings to include a photography portion, called Girls on Film, which opened up more opportunities for a different type of artist, still maintaining that you don’t have to be a seasoned artiste, just someone with a passion to try something new. Photography and video is where I will be directing TKS  in our next chapter, as we continue hosting Girls on Film and working on adding a pornography component, one that is motivated by our mandate that women are to be championed, not denigrated. We hope 2013 brings more debauchery than ever before.

I never really knew just how long the life-drawing Sessions would run, as it has been a rollercoaster ride through seasons and each year has been very different. TKS has always been a passion project that has literally seen my blood, sweat, tears & every spare cent and I’m grateful for every minute. But it’s time to push forward, to continue trying new things, using the experience I’ve already gained. I’m so proud to have seen artists come out of their shells personally and artistically, thanks to the welcoming environment that we have helped foster. I’ve watched many a friendship form in front of our stage, and many performers go on to do amazing things. I hope to maintain these relationships with artists and performers as we evolve.

So we’re going to make our final two life-drawing Sessions count:

November 13th will see me able to wear my wedding dress one more time in White Wedding

December 11th is our grande finale which will be a tribute to Fight Club. We’ll attempt to fill Revival with as many models and stations as possible in a Session to end all Sessions {and hopefully with an afterparty}.

If you’ve never attended a Session, these will be your final chances. I hope to also see faces we haven’t seen in a while.

I thank each and every person that has walked through our doors since May, 2009 and I hope that you’ll stick around for the next ride. If you miss me, you can always send me a note or catch my musings on any of the ohtoomany social media platforms Twitter, Pinterest, tumblr, Facebook and at Toronto Standard, where I write as their sex columnist.

Much love and thanks,

Your Madame