To find an audience for your art online, images are key.
Previously in this space, we’ve encouraged artists to start a blog to share their artwork and reach new audiences. What if you don’t have the time or energy to keep a blog updated? Using an image sharing site like Flickr might be your next best bet.
Flickr is an image-hosting and -sharing site under the Yahoo! umbrella, used mostly by photographers but by lots of artists as well. You can upload images (and videos), share them with others, and join groups and make contacts to see what other people upload. It has the advantage that it’s a very popular site, so with all that traffic, people are bound to see your artwork if you describe and tag your uploads correctly. Continue reading Artful Resources: Using Flickr to Share Your Art
See below for exhibition opportunities with upcoming deadlines. You can click the banner image above to see past opportunities posts. Good luck!
Trash Talk
Deadline: February 11, 2013. Trash Talk at the Target Gallery is an all-media exhibition featuring work made from recycled/found objects. The work may include new materials, but 50% must be made of found/recycled objects. It is open to all artists nationally and internationally. For more information, click here.
Small Works Exhibit
Deadline: February 28, 2013. Less is More is a new juried exhibit featuring small works in the great space of the Mitchell Gallery at St. John’s College in Annapolis, MD. It is open to all artists over the age of 18 residing in the United States and Puerto Rico. All media are eligible, including fine jewelry, ceramics, and more. Online sales gallery. For more information and to enter, click here.
Non-Functional Ceramics
Deadline: March 4, 2013. Beyond Function at the Target Gallery is a media-specific exhibition with a focus on non-functional ceramic artwork. These works go beyond utility, seeking to be valued for their aesthetic quality over their usefulness. It is open to all artists nationally and internationally. For more information, click here.
The Artist’s Magazine Competition
Deadline: May 1, 2013 (early bird deadline April 1). The Artist’s Magazine is accepting entries for its 30th Annual Art Competition. More than $25,000 in cash prizes will be awarded, and Top Award Winners will be featured in the December 2013 issue of The Artist’s Magazine. All winners will also appear in a special online gallery. For more information and to enter, click here.
A couple months ago, Jesse Cohen over at artdc asked people for their choices for top galleries in the DC area. Now, there’s a poll in the forums to vote for your favorite gallery space!
So if The Art League Gallery is important to you as an artist, an art lover, an art collector, or an art student, please go vote for us as your top DC-area gallery! (You’ll have to create an account to vote if you don’t have one.)
The Alexandria Commission for the Arts is looking for members of the public to join. There are currently four vacancies on the board:
Two for members who represent the public-at-large, as arts consumers and participants, and
two for members who represent arts education or business expertise relative to arts and cultural development, including such perspectives as marketing, finance/funding, tourism promotion and organizational development
The Commission meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm. Approximately twelve hours per month are required of Commission members. Commissioners are required to become involved in various art projects/events throughout the City and serve on one grant review panel and one committee. Applications are being accepted through December 28. All appointments will be made at the January 8, 2013 City Council meeting.
For online application and more information, click here.
See below for exhibitions and other opportunities coming up! You can click the banner above to see past opportunities posts.
VisArts Residency
Deadline: December 21, 2012. The Fleur and Charles Bresler Residency at VisArts invites applications and proposals from local, national and international artists for an 8 week residency at VisArts at Rockville. The Residency offers artists a dedicated studio, a supportive environment and the gift of time to plan, research, construct and present proposed projects. For more information and to apply, click here.
We recently visited Betzi Robinson’s class to learn about the art of sumi-é (soo-me-eh), or brush painting. Betzi showed us how to paint a great horned owl (above) and sparrows (at the bottom of this post) and told us all about the art form.
Students from absolute beginners to accomplished artists take sumi-é classes, which include weekly classes and two-day workshops with instructors Charlene Fuhrman-Schulz, Aiko Erickson, and Betzi.
“You don’t have to have done any kind of art to start learning this,” Betzi told us, saying students take it for the fun and for the meditative process. In fact, the “calming and centering” art form was first brought to Japan from China by Zen Buddhist monks. Ceramics artists sometimes take the course to learn the techniques for decorating their ceramic work, Betzi said. Continue reading What is Sumi-é?
Earlier this week we brought you an interview with Elizabeth Loftis, whose pastel and watercolor painting Procession won best in show in the December All-Media Exhibit. The Second Place Marker Award went to Nicholas, a graphite portrait of the artist’s nephew by Wendy Donahoe. The juror, Linda Hafer, said she chose the “beautiful and quiet” piece for its detail and technical expertise.
We asked Wendy to tell us more about Nicholas, portraiture, and her artwork in general — read our Q&A, below, and don’t miss the opening reception today (December 13) at 6:30!
“Nicholas” by Wendy Donahoe. (Click for full size.)
What’s your creative process like, from an idea to a finished piece? How long does a piece like Nicholas take?
Wendy Donahoe: Once I have a concept for a new drawing, there is much to consider before I begin. First I need to decide which medium would best suit my vision. I primarily work in graphite, charcoal, and colored pencil, each requiring a different paper selection, the next step in my process. For graphite, I generally use the Strathmore 500 series in the vellum surface, but in the case of Nicholas, I used the smooth surface for finer detail. I then determine the size and scale it needs to be, a very important consideration. Because I work differently with graphite and charcoal, a much smaller drawing such as Nicholas can take as much time to complete as a much larger drawing in charcoal. I began the drawing of Nicholas in early October with the intention of entering it into the “Small Works” show, but was not close to finishing it come receiving. I realized however that the smaller size frame requirement was not right for the piece and completed the drawing December first.
How did you develop your photorealistic style?
Although not the intention, my work has often been described as “photorealistic,” which is just one style a contemporary realist artist might strive for. I received my BFA from The University of Delaware where I was taught a “continuous tone” method of drawing, which I have worked in and developed ever since. Gradations of tone are overlapped and blended moving the sharp point of the pencil in a tight circular fashion. Keeping my highlights paper-white, I lay down my mid-tones into which I layer my darks and shadows for subtle transitions, always trying to keep a soft edge, forming lines as varying tones meet.
Painting with a Broad Brush: It’s not a bad thing, at least in the literal sense, as the familiar saying would suggest. This recent Artist Daily blog post by Will Kemp explains the advantages to throwing out your detail brush. (It’s an approach often mentioned by the Art League painting instructors in our YouTube demos.) Kemp quotes John Singer Sargent: “Start with a broom and end with a needle.”
Flickr for Artists: Artist and blogger Kristy Hall wrote this article, part one of a series on why and how to use Flickr to host and share images of your artwork. Flickr gets lots of traffic and is a great place to get more exposure if used correctly. The Art League is on Flickr, too — check us out here.
Etsy Blog: We’ve been finding lots of interesting reading on Etsy’s blog, including their “Short Stories” series on the backstories behind the creation of objects, their post on the forgotten art of tinsel painting, and the interesting ideas behind the Museum of Bad Art.
Antiques Roadshow: Whether you’re interested in art history or just want to see some cool stuff, the huge archive of appraisal videos from the PBS show Antiques Roadshow is worth a look. Click on the “object details” tab to search by medium, form, materials, and time period to find videos from past shows. Their website has hundreds of objects archived, like Japanese woodcuts, Art Deco glass, and 18th century textiles.
The Holiday Ornament Collection is on display through January 2, 2013.
If you’re like us, you’re still doing your holiday shopping and looking for that perfect gift. Two new exhibits opened in The Art League Gallery last week with lots of affordable, original art by local artists. Don’t miss out on these unique works — and all the art in the Bin Gallery this month!
The Bin Gallery.
The Bin Gallery is a great place to find affordable work by recognized artists — to display work in the Bin Gallery, an artist must have had work juried into three or more exhibits in the past year. There are dozens of framed and unframed pieces for sale. Continue reading Affordable Artwork & Gifts in the Gallery
See below for details on upcoming exhibits and other opportunities! You can click the banner above for past opportunities posts.
Cult Creations
Deadline: January 4, 2013. Cult Creations is a pop-culture inspired art show. Are you a fan of Star Wars, Kill Bill, or The Shining? This is a call for artists to submit works of art on their favorite cult classics. All artists are invited to enter original artworks in any media for exhibition which will be on view at the Arlington Arts Gallery, from January 12th through January 30th, 2013. For more information and to enter, click here.
January 4–6, learn to make functional, wheel-thrown pottery in this workshop with Linda Christianson. You can register for the workshop here, and read the full description below:
This three-day workshop focuses on functional wheel thrown pottery. Several approaches to handle, spout, and feet making are explored. Demonstrations, slides, and group discussion form the basis for an understanding of how to look critically at ceramic work, as well as expand the understanding of form, surface, volume, and intent. Linda demonstrates throwing and altering forms in the morning, followed by a break for lunch with a film. Participants are able to work hands-on in the afternoon, with one-on-one attention from Linda. Friday night begins at 7:00pm with a slide show and pot luck. Saturday and Sunday meet from 10:00am-4:00pm.
If you’ve been to the Gallery to see the December All-Media Show, you’ve seen the large, striking painting in front. Procession, an oil pastel and watercolor work by Elizabeth Loftis, won the Carol Zakaski Memorial Award for Best in Show as decided by juror Linda Hafer, who praised the piece’s movement, warm palette, and value contrasts.
Elizabeth told us about her creative process, being a drawer rather than a painter, and drawing inspiration from travels, patterns, and animals. Read all about it in our Q&A, below, and see Procession in person through January 7 in the Gallery!
The opening reception for the all-media show and Suzanne Vigil’s “Up Close & Too Personal” is this Thursday, December 13 at 6:30 pm.
“Procession” by Elizabeth Loftis.
People often ask about your process for creating your paintings. Can you tell us about it and how and why you started doing it?
Elizabeth Loftis: Many of us are familiar with a variation of my method from art class in elementary school, when we drew fish with crayons and covered over them with watery blue paint. I started using my specific technique of oil pastel and watercolor in 2000 while I was living in Mozambique. I had long been attracted to printmaking, specifically the outlined look of woodblock prints. However, I never found the opportunity to take a class. I guess you can say my “ah ha” moment came from looking at zebras: they are the ultimate natural canvas with their strong black and white stripes. It occurred to me that if I took some white oil pastel and painted over it with black watercolor, I should get a nice, interesting contrast. And I was very pleased with the results.
“Procession” before painting.
Now I’ve refined the process. I start with a pencil drawing on watercolor paper which I then color in with oil pastels, carefully leaving an outline around the various forms. Then I paint over the entire picture with watercolor — the pastel repels the paint, and the outlines and black spaces vibrantly come to life. I use an x-acto knife to scrape any excess paint off the pastel. I go back in with additional pastel to make any final changes.
The end of my last Stained Glass class this morning meant two things: one, I did indeed finish my panel! You can see the whole thing below. Two, it meant it was time to start thinking of what else I can make. Continue reading George’s Artistic Adventure: Final Touches
Suzanne Vigil and Solo Artist Coordinator Megan Fox finish hanging the show.
Suzanne Vigil
“Up Close & Too Personal” December 6, 2012 – January 7, 2013 Opening Reception: Thursday, December 13, 6:30 pm
This month, the solo room in The Art League Gallery isn’t filled with photos — those are photorealistic colored pencil portraits by Suzanne Vigil. “Up Close & Too Personal” captures people at funny, strange, and intimate moments, with all their flaws intact. (See more of the show on Flickr!)
To create her portraits, Vigil layers colored pencil on both sides of translucent acetate. See how she does it, and some of the other pieces from the show, in our studio visit video:
Vigil creates composite faces from multiple subjects, using layers of pencil (and other tools, like an X-Acto knife) to create captivating textures that pull the viewer in close. She discovered acetate when she worked as Art Director at the Drug Enforcement Administration, experimenting with different materials before finding that it allowed for great detail and vibrant color with colored pencils. Vigil, who lives in Alexandria, is an active member of the Gallery and has won awards for her colored pencil and oil work.
The opening reception and meet the artist for “Up Close & Too Personal” is Thursday, December 13, at 6:30 pm. The show will be on view through January 7, so come by the Gallery to see these pieces up close!
To close out November’s “Small Works” show, which closed Monday, here’s our Q&A with the final award winner, Rana Geralis. Rana’s watercolor, Trail Ride, won third prize to Trail Ride in that exhibit. We asked Rana to tell us more about the painting, her work in general, and her frequent subject, horses. (To see our other Q&As from November’s exhibits, click here.)
What draws you to return to horses as subjects in your artwork? What do you try to do to capture a horse in a painting?
Rana Geralis: I’ve always loved horses, even as a young child. I worked with them for several years. I try to capture their movements and spirit. I never get bored of watching them or just being around them. I love painting them because it just seems natural to me.
Find DC’s Best Artsy Holiday Events on CultureCapital’s Holiday Cheer Page!
Wondering what artsy holiday event to attend now that The Art League’s Artfête is over? CultureCapital has all of the local holiday events covered — the best art, music, dance, film, and more from local institutions and organizations. Take a look at their Holiday Cheer page to find something fun to do during the holiday season! There are events for kids, adults, and the whole family.
Read below for details on upcoming exhibitions, fellowships, and residencies! You can click the banner above to see past opportunities posts.
The following announcements are courtesy of FindArtInfoBank.com:
24th National Drawing and Print Competitive Exhibition – MD
Deadline: January 31, 2013. Gormley Gallery-Notre Dame of Maryland University (Baltimore MD) Call for Entries. 24th National Drawing and Print Competitive Exhibition, April 2 through April 26, 2013. Juror: Amy Cavanaugh Royce, Executive Director, Maryland Art Place. Awards: A minimum of $1,500 available in purchase prize awards. Entries are accepted online https://artndm.slideroom.com, for additional information visit http://www.ndm.edu/gormleygallery.
9th Annual Northeast National Pastel Exhibition – NY
Deadline: December 12, 2012. View, the arts center in Old Forge, NY, announces a call to artists for a national juried pastel exhibition, May 4 – June 29, 2013. Over $5,000 in awards. Juror of Selection: Sally Strand; PSA Juror of Awards: Diane Forsberg. This exhibition is competitive and open to all living artists working in soft pastel. At least 80% of the final painting surface must be in soft pastel. No oil pastel entries are allowed. All entries must be original. Compositions from published photographs not taken by the artist or images derived from other artists’ work are not considered original and are not eligible. There are no size restrictions. There are no color restrictions for the mat or frame on entered work. Artwork shown previously at View is not eligible. $40 non-members, $30 members for two entries. Visit website for prospectus. Questions? Contact Linda Weal at [email protected] or call 315-369-6411.
Steve Prince conducts the first steamroller printing of the evening. Watch a video of the process below!
There was a lot going on at Friday’s Artfête Open House and Holiday Party, so we can’t blame you if you didn’t get a chance to see everything. If you’re wondering what you missed, here are some photos — and please check out our Facebook album for more!
There were instructor demos, as always — silk screen artist Nancy McIntyre (below) had a station for Artfête attendees to make and take home their own Artfête poster. Nancy Freeman previewed her Spring term class, Apps for Artists, with some art apps on her iPad. Ceramics chair Blair Meerfeld was working at the potter’s wheel, Joe Mullins discussed forensic sculpture, and Hermineh Miller was demonstrating calligraphy.
Art League instructor Nancy McIntyre’s silk screen station.
Read on for more photos of the wearable art fashion show, the ceramic and jewelry sales, and a video of the steamroller printing demo!Continue reading Artfête 2012 Wrap-up!
The Gallery’s schedule for 2014 is shaping up after last month’s jurying for that year’s solo artist exhibits. After reading proposals and reviewing artwork, three jurors chose eight artists to have their own show out of the 35 who applied. The artists will spend the next two years or so crafting work to fill up the solo artist room — but it’s never too early to start getting excited!
“Key Bridge Sunset,” oil by Web Bryant
Web Bryant will be representing Washington, DC at different times of the day in such scenes as Silver Line construction in the morning and food truck dining at night. The jurors called his oil works “atmospheric.” Bryant also won the Potomac Valley Watercolorists’ Award in our August “’Scapes” show — here’s our Q&A with him then. Bryant said about painting Washington: “I spent more than 20 years on the 16th floor of the old USA Today building in Rosslyn. I looked out over the Potomac River and watched the sun move across this magic city. I want to capture with paint how I feel about this place.”
In this month’s “Small Works” show, juror Lindsay Harris awarded prizes to three works from the Eleanor Boudreau Jordan Award, with second prize going to Tiny Treats, a watercolor by Alice Kale. Harris praised the painting for the “whimsy and joyfulness” of the subject matter, elevated by the painter’s skill in an unforgiving medium. We asked Kale to tell us more about Tiny Treats and her work in general.
What inspired you to paint this bag of M&Ms? Is this the kind of thing you usually paint?
Alice Kale: The painting began as a demonstration for the watercolor class I have taught for many years at Mt. Vernon Recreation Center in Alexandria. The class project was a holiday card design. My painting of red and green M&Ms was meant to show the class that a holiday design can be something less usual than holly or candles. The crinkly bag appealed to me. I’ve done paintings of plastic bags in the past and am fascinated by the texture.
“Tiny Treats” by Alice Kale
What draws you to painting? Why do you work in watercolor and oil?
As a child, I had an aunt who was an art teacher. Every Christmas, I received a big box of art supplies, just materials, no coloring books. She gave me a wonderful start. I can’t remember a time I didn’t love to draw or paint. I work in watercolor and oils because I love the feel of the paints. Continue reading Q&A with Award Winner Alice Kale
My stained glass panel is almost done! I’ll save the grand reveal for next week, but if you’d like to see the almost-ready panel in person, it will be on display at Artfête tomorrow, along with other student work in the stained glass classroom.
Today I finished touching up the solder on both sides of the panel before applying the patina (above), which in this case was a blue liquid that I rubbed on the solder to turn it black-brown. It really changes the overall look of the piece, as you’ll see in the finished pictures. After that, our teacher Jimmy Powers cut pieces of zinc framing to go around the outside.
I’m in the process of soldering that together, and then I’ll be finished after a few more short steps! It’s pretty cool that, as an absolute beginner, I will be able to finish a piece and take it home in one term. Even though it was a very basic pattern, seeing it all come together has been very satisfying, as I’m sure the other students will agree.
Artfête Open House & Holiday Party Tomorrow! Friday, November 30, 6:00-9:00 pm The Art League’s Madison Annex, 305 Madison Street, Alexandria, VA
Tomorrow’s Artfête is THE art happening of the season. In addition to the highly anticipated jewelry and ceramic sales, our first wearable art runway show, artist demos, exhibits of instructor artwork, food and drinks provided by Chadwick’s and Lavender Moon Cupcakery, and music by salsa band Orquesta Tropikiimba, we’re shutting down part of Madison Street for a LIVE steamroller printing.
Art League instructor and master printmaker Steve Prince is carving a 16 foot long piece of plywood, which will be transported to Madison Street around 5:30pm on Friday. The wood-block mural will be inked and then Steve will drive a steamroller over the piece to create a huge print.
From a previous steamroller printing.
Individuals who make their donation to The Art League’s Annual Fund during the event, at the Easel level ($75) or above, will receive a piece of this special print. Our sponsor, Montgomery Center/MRE Properties, is also matching donations made to our annual fund on Friday evening up to $2,500. You can double your donation!
Join us for this fun evening as we kick off the holiday season in our newly expanded space!
If you can’t make it to the party on Friday, you can stop by the Ceramic and Jewelry sales which continue throughout the weekend.
See below for upcoming exhibition opportunities! You can also click the banner above to see past opportunities posts.
Pop art
Deadline: November 29, 2012. In the age of special effects, ultra-high and ultra-low resolution, and everyone’s mother self-publishing, where is pop art? The all-media exhibit “Pop Effects” seeks consumer culture imagery, in high and low definition. Accepted work will be exhibited January 28–February 21, 2013, at the Cade Art Gallery, Anne Arundel Community College. For more information and to enter, click here.
National Geographic photo contest
Deadline: November 30, 2012. The deadline to enter National Geographic’s annual contest is this Friday. The grand-prize winner will receive $10,000 and a trip to National Geographic headquarters to participate in the annual National Geographic Photography Seminar. Two Runner-up Prizes: $2,500. Enter as many photos as you’d like! The winning photos will be published in National Geographic magazine. For more information and to enter, click here.
The juror for November’s “Small Works” show, Lindsay Harris, selected three award winners for the Eleanor Boudreau Jordan Award. She awarded Best in Show to Rock Creek Park, a palladium contact print by DeDe Faller, pointing to the softness and rich detail in the print. Faller told us about the palladium process, large-format photography, and the best time of day to take photos — read our Q&A below.
“Rock Creek Park” by DeDe Faller.
I’m guessing the photograph is in Rock Creek Park, because of the name. Is there any other backstory or motivation for this piece? Rock Creek Park was taken some time ago. It is a contact print of one of my early works. Most have water and mist. In photography, especially before digital, landscape means large format. If the subject is not moving, you naturally go for the biggest negative for the best quality print.
Can you tell us a little bit about the palladium process?
The picture now in the gallery is a palladium contact print. Palladium is a semi-precious metal used in some dental work and catalytic converters. The process is almost identical to that used in platinum printing, using the same chemicals for coating the paper and requiring a black and white negative. Continue reading Q&A with Award Winner DeDe Faller
