With Winter term classes now underway, things are busy at The Art League Store — the place to find all your supplies for Art League classes. It’s also one of the few places in the DC area to buy art supplies at low prices from working artists. One such artist is Cindy Packard Richmond, a painter and Art League member (you may remember her 2011 solo show in the Gallery, “Food, Glorious Food”). You can find her in the store on Wednesdays, ready to answer all your questions about oils and pastels!
Cindy told us more about the store and her favorite oil colors:
Why should I check out The Art League Store?
Cindy: You should visit The Art League store because 1) it is staffed by knowledgeable artists, 2) we are non-profit so our prices are lower than Michaels or other art stores, 3) you will be supporting The Art League, and 4) we know where everything is! Continue reading Meet The Art League Store Staff: Cindy Richmond
“Burrow Hill,” lithography crayon on Yupo paper, by Amanda Nicholas. (Click for full size.)
Drawn to the piece by its emotional content, interesting line, and “wealth of mark-making,” juror Trace Miller selected the drawing above, Burrow Hill, for best in show in this month’s all-media exhibit. The artist, Amanda Nicholas, a new Art League member, drew it en plein air using lithography crayon on Yupo paper.
Amanda usually works outdoors, visiting a place several times and drawing over a period of time and multiple perspectives. She told us more about her creative process, Burrow Hill, and how she captures “the bones and essence of a place” by drawing perceptually and not following compositional rules — it’s all in our Q&A, below. You can see Burrow Hill and the rest of this month’s exhibit in person through February 4.
You’re a new member here — how did you find The Art League, and what was it like to enter your first show?
I actually found The Art League years ago — I worked as an intern for Summer Art Camp in 2007 and 2008, then as a teacher in 2009. Following that summer, I moved to North Carolina for grad school, and didn’t move back until this past November. I remembered the Art League and wanted to get connected to an artist community here, so I thought it would be a good place to start!
This was actually the second show I’ve entered here — in the first one I didn’t get in at all! So getting in this month and receiving best in show — I’m just ecstatic.
Why do you work in lithography crayon, and how did you get started drawing in that medium?
Lithography crayon was a happy accident. I took a lithography class in grad school, and experimented for a while with transfers, hoping that I could draw my subjects plein air and then transfer those drawings to the stone. The actual transfers were a bust, but the process (drawing with lithography crayon on paper coated with matte medium) was great! I was really fascinated with the lithography crayon — it dissolves in water, but is oil based. This meant that by dipping the crayon in water, I could get incredibly fluid lines (not the usual grainy crayon look). I could also use water to dissolve marks or tint it to create washes. When I’m not using coated papers, I like Yupo paper. The toothless surface allows the crayon to glide beautifully; no water necessary. I enjoy the black tone — it’s warmer and richer than charcoal — and like the way the marks sit on the surface; there’s a great immediacy to them, like they’re coming off the page.
