McQuillen has won the Dee Gee Watling Pastel Memorial Award again. This time, Gasoline Alley II was the big winner — a scene that looks like a 1950s pit stop, but it is in fact a modern day museum of sorts.
Is Gasoline Alley II part of a series? What place is depicted?
Moira McQuillen: This painting is the second in a series based on a unique home in northern New Mexico that is part time capsule, part personal chapel honoring the America of yesteryear. Gasoline Alley is a combination museum and shop, specializing in antique car and gas station memorabilia. The gentleman who owns it also leases his beautiful gasoline pumps to film and television studios where they use his collection as set pieces.
Gasoline Alley can be best described as sensory overload … gas pumps, oil cans, a 4-foot-tall Mobil Pegasus statue, neon signs, black and white photos, radiator caps, and even a few pink flamingos.
Gasoline Alley II (detail) by Moira McQuillen
What was your goal with this painting?
It’s a bit intimidating to start one of these paintings. I spend a lot of time setting up the painting, as the “bones” of the piece have to be correct for the finished painting to make sense. I need to make sure that the larger, anchoring elements (the house itself, the gas pumps) are correctly drawn. Other elements (signage, bric a brac) are only lightly suggested – there isn’t space to draw them completely, so every line has to count.
These paintings are very much about drawing technique. I plan to return to this subject matter often — drawing both the outside and inside of the property.
“It’s a bit intimidating to start one of these paintings.”
What are you working on now?
I’m working on several pieces now, including a painting of stones underwater in a forest stream. These stream paintings are interesting to work on because they are so abstract. I never know if they’ll come together until the very end. I’m also working on several cloud sketches at the moment – I always look forward to working with clouds!
Raw, encaustic and charcoal, by Linda Lowery. Winner of the Shayna Heisman Simkin Award for Best in Show.
We like to say the best artwork “speaks to us” — and sometimes, it screams.
That’s certainly the case with this painting by Linda Lowery. Raw is part of a series of paintings of newborns doing their best Edvard Munch, and it won this month’s Best in Show award in the September Open Exhibit.
When we last spoke with the artist, back in 2014, she was starting to concentrate on this newborns series. We took this fresh opportunity to ask her more about it:
How did you get started with your paintings of newborns? What keeps this series fresh for you, and how has it progressed?
Linda Lowery: I have a photograph of my son that was taken when he was only a few hours old. He was a big baby and, even though it was a short labor, his face clearly showed the physical duress he had been through. I was struck by the pain of birth for the infant, which doesn’t get mentioned very often, and I wanted to express that in a painting. My painting of my son was not successful. I think I was too close to the subject. But since then, I have tried to capture the shock of being born by painting the faces of other infants.
Raw (detail) by Linda Lowery
I am fascinated by infants. This, and the variety of expressions they make, keep this subject relevant for me. Recently, I have been painting the whole figure of the infant, my dancing baby series, and I have also been exploring another medium — encaustics.
Why do you paint screaming infants and not peaceful ones?
Peaceful babies tend to look cute (at least to me). I am not into cute. I want my paintings to have a strong emotional content, and I don’t think that comes with cute. Not that I don’t occasionally paint or draw a peaceful baby. They are just not my focus.
Does this series have a name?
I call my series of crying babies painted in oil “Screaming Babies.” I don’t really have a name for the encaustics. I usually just call them “wax babies.”
Two Step by Linda Lowery, from her dancing babies series, was in the April 2016 “Orbit” exhibit at The Art League.
Is encaustic a new medium for you? How does this painting differ from the oil paintings in this series?
I have been working in encaustic for a couple of years. I was looking for a way to more closely capture the translucent character of a newborn’s skin. I was hoping for an encaustic face, contrasted with the rest of the painting done in oil.
“Peaceful babies tend to look cute. … I am not into cute.”
So far I haven’t found a good way to do that. Heating oil paint is not healthy, and wax is likely to pop off the oil.
The painting in the show shows the result of my experimentation with transferring a charcoal drawing to the wax. I have been happy with the result. I plan to continue to experiment to see what other effects I can achieve with this medium.
Some of Linda Lowery’s “Screaming Babies” at Artomatic 2015.
What’s your creative process for this series — are these based on photographs?
My baby paintings are all based on photographs. It is hard to get a crying infant to hold still and pose. (And harder still to gain access to a lot of newborns.)
I use family photos as well as pictures I find on the internet.
What’s your goal with this series?
I hope that viewers will be able to get more in touch with their own strong emotions by empathizing with the babies I paint. And then, perhaps, they will be able to better relate to the people around them. Not world peace exactly, but maybe a little inch forward.
For myself, I am waiting for this series to lead me into my next exploration in painting.
Deadline: October 13. NALAC Fund For The Arts provides a variety of grants to support US-based Latino artists and arts organizations in the development, creation, presentation and sustainability of artistic excellence, as well as the opportunity to participate in activities that contribute to professional and organizational growth.
All-media national show
Deadline: October 14. The Artist as Maker, Thinker, Feeler is an all-media national juried show at Cade Art Gallery, Anne Arundel Community College (Arnold, MD). Juror: Jack Rasmussen.
Sitar Arts Center
Drop-off dates: October 17–22. Sitar Arts Center celebrates arts in the community with our seventh annual juried exhibition. The exhibition will showcase work from local artists, including student and parent artists from the Sitar community in a variety of mediums. This year’s theme is Heart of the City. Images must be appropriate for school-aged children.
Nebraska residency
Deadline: November 1. The LUX Center for the Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska is currently accepting applications for an artist-in-residence. One residency is available in painting, drawing, metals, fibers, or mixed media. A Master of Fine Arts is preferred, but not required. A desire to teach is a must.
Women’s Caucus for Art
Deadline: November 3. The Women’s Caucus for Art, District of Columbia Chapter has issued a call for entries for a juried show at Artists and Makers Galleriesin Rockville, MD. Rebecca Cross, owner of the Cross MacKenzie Gallery in Georgetown, will jury the show. Women artists working in all 2D and 3D media may submit up to three works of art
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Artomatic@Baltimore
Deadline: First come, first served. If you would like to show your artwork at Artomatic@Baltimore (November 4–December 10), all you need to do is register to secure a space to feature your work. There is a $100 fee for visual artists. Registration is now open! (For an idea of what Artomatic is like, read our review of the most recent Artomatic event or this installation guide.)
Paintings
Deadline: September 28. “Root to Bloom: Places Artists Call Home” at Principle Gallery (Alexandria, VA) will feature paintings representative of where the featured artists call “home.” Works must be paintings no more than 40 inches along the longest edge (measured unframed).
Contemporary craft
Deadline: September 30. The Greater Denton Arts Council announces the opening of its 2017 Call for Entries for the 30th Annual Materials: Hard + Soft Contemporary Craft Exhibition. This exhibition celebrates the evolving field of contemporary craft and the innovation of artists who push the boundaries of their chosen media.
Craft artists
Deadline: September 30. The Lydon Emerging Artist Program is open to exceptionally talented graduate students and/or emerging artists who are beginning to receive recognition for their work, but are not currently represented by well-established galleries. Artists must work in craft media: ceramics, wood, metal/jewelry, glass, found materials, mixed media, fiber or a combination of these materials.
Korean art
Deadline: September 30. The Korean Cultural Center Washington, DC is accepting proposals for exhibitions for the 2017 exhibition season. The K-Art Gallery presents monthly exhibitions which highlight the diversity of Korean art and which bring east and west together. The gallery accommodates various types of art, both traditional and contemporary.
Blue
Deadline: September 30. The 26th Annual Strathmore Juried Exhibition celebrates La Vie en Bleu, or “life in blue,” and welcomes entries of original artwork in all mediums that take inspiration from the theme of blue, including in nature, color theory, emotion, and more. All media are eligible.
Maryland residency
Deadline: September 30. VisArts invites applications and proposals from local, national, and international artists for a four month residency at VisArts at Rockville, MD.
Small works
Deadline: September 30. The Council for the Arts (Chambersburg, PA) presents “Miniature Art 2016.” 2-D artwork must have an image size no greater than 4″ by 6″, and sculpture should not exceed 5″ in any direction. No crafts, jewelry, photography, laser prints or computer-generated artwork.
Photography about homelessness
Deadline: October 1. For Picture This, organized by Flashlight Baltimore, entries can depict the homeless experience from around the country, however the Baltimore region is preferred. Entries must be original photography.
Torpedo Factory residency
Deadline: October 2. The Torpedo Factory Post-Graduate Residency (scroll down) is a competitive program that provides meaningful support to recent, promising MFA graduates for three months at a time in partnership with accredited MFA programs. Submissions are open for both graduates in the DC region and nationwide, provided they submit proof of their permanent residence in the area and/or commitment of contributing to the ongoing future of the DC/Maryland/Virginia arts scene.
Bas-relief
Deadline: October 3. The Dexter Jones Award, an unrestricted prize of $5,000, is presented annually to a sculptor for an outstanding work of sculpture in bas-relief. Each competitor must be a United States sculptor between the ages of 18 and 39.
Young at Art
Artwork drop-off: October 4. Young at Art at Durant Arts Center is open to all DC-area residents ages 55 and older. All media are accepted and cash prizes will be awarded.
Fotoweek 2016
Deadline: October 7. There are three categories, and a chance to win cash prizes & have your photographs featured in the FotoWeekCentral gallery at the National Geographic Museum during this fall’s FotoWeekDC festival.
Figure & figurative
Deadline: October 11. Gallery Underground announces “Figuratively Speaking,” a national juried art competition. All-media artists, sculptors, and photographers are invited to create visual works that interpret the theme “Figuratively Speaking” in two different ways: by depicting human forms, faces and features in representational or abstract works (portraiture, sculpture and all subject matter including people); or works which depict a broader interpretation of the theme, such as figurative language and figures of speech.
Awards for career development
Deadline: October 15. The 2016 S&R Foundation Washington Award application is now open! Every year the S&R Foundation awards four $5,000 prizes to emerging artists working in a broad range of disciplines including painting, photography, sculpture, music, dance, dramatic arts, film, digital, and interdisciplinary arts.
Video art
Deadline: October 16. The Art League in Alexandria, VA invites video artists, filmmakers, animators, performance artists, and media artists to submit silent, video-based art for the third annual Art on Tap event taking place Friday, November 4. It is free to enter.
Fellowships for Virginia artists
Deadline: November 4. In summer 2016, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is accepting applications for 2017–2018 fellowships. Professional artists, graduate and undergraduate art students, graduate art history students, and college-bound high school seniors may apply.
Michael Fischerkeller — the artist behind “The Art of Politics,” currently on view at The Art League — will share the details of his process, the ideas behind his exhibit, and the responses and stories it has elicited. Please join us for an artist talk on Thursday, September 29 at 7:00 pm!
About the exhibit: Through a street art aesthetic, artist Michael Fischerkeller offers a commentary on today’s political, economic, and social issues. His stark yet elegant paintings span large canvases, the size and weight consistent with the gravity of the issues to which they speak. Using acrylic spray paint, a street artist’s medium, Fischerkeller boldly and symbolically relays his message, as the “street” is most often and most deprived of social justice.
Fischerkeller holds a BA and M.Phil. from the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Ohio State University. He is a self-taught artist, having developed his own technique through the use of digital image manipulation, stencils, and acrylic spray paint. Fischerkeller found his way into the visual arts just three years ago, and has already found widespread success. His work has been shown throughout the United States in group and solo exhibitions. He’s currently a member of The Art League, the Torpedo Factory Artists Association, and the Washington Project for the Arts.
Photos from the second day of classes. Pictured: Abstract Drawing with Delna Dastur, Basic Drawing with Tania Karpowitz, Enameling with Abby Goldblatt, and Throwing/Handbuilding Ceramics with Allison Severance.
The 2016–17 school year at The Art League has officially begun!
For the full list of classes, browse our catalog. To join a class that’s already in session, or if you have any other questions, please contact our office at [email protected] or 703-683-2323.
Deadline: First come, first served. If you would like to show your artwork at Artomatic@Baltimore (November 4–December 10), all you need to do is register to secure a space to feature your work. There is a $100 fee for visual artists. Registration is now open! (For an idea of what Artomatic is like, read our review of the most recent Artomatic event.)
Craft artists
Deadline: September 30. The Lydon Emerging Artist Program is open to exceptionally talented graduate students and/or emerging artists who are beginning to receive recognition for their work, but are not currently represented by well-established galleries. Artists must work in craft media: ceramics, wood, metal/jewelry, glass, found materials, mixed media, fiber or a combination of these materials.
Korean art
Deadline: September 30. The Korean Cultural Center Washington, DC is accepting proposals for exhibitions for the 2017 exhibition season. The K-Art Gallery presents monthly exhibitions which highlight the diversity of Korean art and which bring east and west together. The gallery accommodates various types of art, both traditional and contemporary.
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Teapots
Deadline: September 22. 100 Teapots VIII at Baltimore Clayworks is open to ceramic artists who reside in the United States. Work must have been completed in the past two years.
Public sculpture
Deadline: September 23. The Riverdale Park (MD) Public Art Initiative is announcing a Call for Artists. The initiative seeks five sculptures of various styles and sizes to display for a one year-long placement, at pre-determined, publicly-accessible sites within the Town of Riverdale Park. The stipend is $2,000 per selected work.
Art League solo exhibits
Deadline: September 23. Entry is now open for 2018 solo artist exhibits at The Art League. Entry is open to all Art League exhibiting artist members.
Contemporary fiber art
Deadline: September 25. Target Gallery (Alexandria, VA) explores the future of contemporary textile art inMaterial as Medium. Artists are asked to submit work using traditional materials in a new context, or unconventional materials in a more traditional form. This exhibition is open to national and international artists working in all media.
Paintings
Deadline: September 28. “Root to Bloom: Places Artists Call Home” at Principle Gallery (Alexandria, VA) will feature paintings representative of where the featured artists call “home.” Works must be paintings no more than 40 inches along the longest edge (measured unframed).
Contemporary craft
Deadline: September 30. The Greater Denton Arts Council announces the opening of its 2017 Call for Entries for the 30th Annual Materials: Hard + Soft Contemporary Craft Exhibition. This exhibition celebrates the evolving field of contemporary craft and the innovation of artists who push the boundaries of their chosen media.
Blue
Deadline: September 30. The 26th Annual Strathmore Juried Exhibition celebrates La Vie en Bleu, or “life in blue,” and welcomes entries of original artwork in all mediums that take inspiration from the theme of blue, including in nature, color theory, emotion, and more. All media are eligible.
Maryland residency
Deadline: September 30. VisArts invites applications and proposals from local, national, and international artists for a four month residency at VisArts at Rockville, MD.
Small works
Deadline: September 30. The Council for the Arts (Chambersburg, PA) presents “Miniature Art 2016.” 2-D artwork must have an image size no greater than 4″ by 6″, and sculpture should not exceed 5″ in any direction. No crafts, jewelry, photography, laser prints or computer-generated artwork.
Photography about homelessness
Deadline: October 1. For Picture This, organized by Flashlight Baltimore, entries can depict the homeless experience from around the country, however the Baltimore region is preferred. Entries must be original photography.
Torpedo Factory residency
Deadline: October 2. The Torpedo Factory Post-Graduate Residency (scroll down) is a competitive program that provides meaningful support to recent, promising MFA graduates for three months at a time in partnership with accredited MFA programs. Submissions are open for both graduates in the DC region and nationwide, provided they submit proof of their permanent residence in the area and/or commitment of contributing to the ongoing future of the DC/Maryland/Virginia arts scene.
Bas-relief
Deadline: October 3. The Dexter Jones Award, an unrestricted prize of $5,000, is presented annually to a sculptor for an outstanding work of sculpture in bas-relief. Each competitor must be a United States sculptor between the ages of 18 and 39.
Young at Art
Artwork drop-off: October 4. Young at Art at Durant Arts Center is open to all DC-area residents ages 55 and older. All media are accepted and cash prizes will be awarded.
Fotoweek 2016
Deadline: October 7. There are three categories, and a chance to win cash prizes & have your photographs featured in the FotoWeekCentral gallery at the National Geographic Museum during this fall’s FotoWeekDC festival.
Figure & figurative
Deadline: October 11. Gallery Underground announces “Figuratively Speaking,” a national juried art competition. All-media artists, sculptors, and photographers are invited to create visual works that interpret the theme “Figuratively Speaking” in two different ways: by depicting human forms, faces and features in representational or abstract works (portraiture, sculpture and all subject matter including people); or works which depict a broader interpretation of the theme, such as figurative language and figures of speech.
Awards for career development
Deadline: October 15. The 2016 S&R Foundation Washington Award application is now open! Every year the S&R Foundation awards four $5,000 prizes to emerging artists working in a broad range of disciplines including painting, photography, sculpture, music, dance, dramatic arts, film, digital, and interdisciplinary arts.
Video art
Deadline: October 16. The Art League in Alexandria, VA invites video artists, filmmakers, animators, performance artists, and media artists to submit silent, video-based art for the third annual Art on Tap event taking place Friday, November 4. It is free to enter.
Fellowships for Virginia artists
Deadline: November 4. In summer 2016, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is accepting applications for 2017–2018 fellowships. Professional artists, graduate and undergraduate art students, graduate art history students, and college-bound high school seniors may apply.
This past weekend was a blast: beautiful weather, good crowds, and art everywhere.
And the cherry on top? Our biggest, most successful Ice Cream Bowl Fundraiser ever, with over 1,700 bowls sold! That’s a new record, in case you were wondering.
So, to everyone who turned out, to the staff and volunteers who kept things running, and to all of our ceramics artists: Thank you! It’s the amazing people like you who make this event a success every year, and your support means our ceramics department will continue to thrive.
Do you have a work of video art to share? An animation? Documentation of a performance art piece? We want to see it! All silent video-based artworks are welcome in our Art on Tap Video Art Contest.
It’s free to enter, and selected artists get a free ticket to our third annual Art on Tap event. Best Video wins a one-year exhibiting artist membership!
The Art League in Alexandria, VA invites video artists, filmmakers, animators, performance artists, and media artists to submit silent, video-based art for the third annual Art on Tap event taking place Friday, November 4. It is free to enter.
Videos will be projected in the main hallway of the Torpedo Factory Art Center for the duration of the event, 7:00–10:00 pm. Work will be presented as a single-channel projection, without sound, on a loop with other selected videos. There will be live and prerecorded music played during the event.
Eligibility
All artists and all video art styles are eligible to enter. Artists must be 21 years or older to claim their prize (one free ticket to Art on Tap).
Prizes
All selected artists: One free ticket to Art on Tap
Best Video (as selected by the juror): One year free exhibiting artist membership at The Art League
Videos may not exceed 10 minutes. There is no minimum duration.
Videos may not have audio. They will be played without sound.
We are only able to accommodate single-channel works.
Files should be in .mov or .mp4 format.
Videos should measure 1080 pixels vertically and no more than 1920 pixels horizontally.
Please keep in mind that food and drink will be served at this event.
Juror: Rory Sheridan
Rory Sheridan is the Senior Video Editor for Travel Channel. He works directly with the Creative Director and Marketing Producers to create videos and photographs for the Travel Channel, including “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.” Sheridan is a freelance video editor and photographer in Washington, DC. He is also the guitarist in local DC punk rock band LoudBoyz. http://rorysheridan.com/
Questions?
Please email [email protected] or leave a comment below with any questions.
So you like The Art League and you want to support us. You know about the Ice Cream Bowl Fundraiser happening this weekend. And the King Street Art Festival sounds like a cool place to check out.
But what if you’re not an ice cream person? We’ve heard such people exist (though none of them work at The Art League).
We’ll let you in on a little secret: while these are officially ice cream bowls, we won’t tell anybody if you use them for something else. See, with handmade ceramic bowls, it’s not what’s on the inside that counts. It’s about that warm and fuzzy feeling every time you use it.
Alternate use #1: Soup
When you’re sick, or it’s cold and wet outside, what warms you up better than a bowl of soup? A bowl of soup in a handmade bowl.
Choices, choices!
Alternate use #2: Cereal
We’ve tried them out in our test kitchen, and ice cream bowls perform admirably as cereal bowls. Pair with your favorite mug for an even better way to start your day.
We only have about 1,000 to choose from, so come early to claim your favorite.
Alternate use #3: Decorate
These one-of-a-kind bowls bring some instant class to your home, whether they’re empty or artfully filled with seashells or knick-knacks. For some ideas, see this blog post.
Alternate use #4: Cats
It’s well-known that cats love bowls. Pop your kitty in one of these works of art, and they’ll feel right at home. Bonus: you’ll know where to find your cat the next time you need it.
Or two cats.
Alternate use #5: Share the love
Affordable handmade art makes the perfect gift!
Are you convinced yet? Come take a look at our wares and pick your favorite from over 1,000 choices. Find all the details here, and we’ll see you this weekend!
Fall term at The Art League school begins September 19!
We’ve been hard at work making a brand-new catalog, bringing you new teachers and new classes, and sprucing up our classrooms for the start of the school year. If you’re looking to flex a little creative muscle, we’ve got you covered:
Looking for something new?
Here are all the classes we’re offering for the first time this fall:
Deadline: September 17. The Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, DC announces a call to artists for their annual juried art exhibition.
Hillyer Art Space
Deadline: September 19. Hillyer Art Space (Northwest DC) is currently accepting proposals for their 2017/2018 exhibition calendar. Hillyer accepts proposals for solo exhibitions once a year. Each accepted artist is given a room in the three room gallery space to present their work.
Contemporary fiber art
September 25. Target Gallery (Alexandria, VA) explores the future of contemporary textile art in Material as Medium. Artists are asked to submit work using traditional materials in a new context, or unconventional materials in a more traditional form. This exhibition is open to national and international artists working in all media.
Torpedo Factory residency
Deadline: October 2. The Torpedo Factory Post-Graduate Residency is a competitive program that provides meaningful support to recent, promising MFA graduates for three months at a time in partnership with accredited MFA programs. Submissions are open for both graduates in the DC region and nationwide, provided they submit proof of their permanent residence in the area and/or commitment of contributing to the ongoing future of the DC/Maryland/Virginia arts scene.
Video art
Deadline: October 16. The Art League in Alexandria, VA invites video artists, filmmakers, animators, performance artists, and media artists to submit silent, video-based art for the third annual Art on Tap event taking place Friday, November 4. It is free to enter.
Fellowships for Virginia artists
Deadline: November 4. In summer 2016, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is accepting applications for 2017–2018 fellowships. Professional artists, graduate and undergraduate art students, graduate art history students, and college-bound high school seniors may apply.
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Migration
Deadline: September 13. #Migration61, at all six Busboys and Poets locations in the DC area, is open to all media except freestanding sculpture. Artwork does NOT have to be created in the aesthetic style of Jacob Lawrence. The topic or content of the work, though, must reflect the theme of migration/emigration/immigration.
DC-area artists
Deadline: September 15. The Franz and Virginia Bader Fund was established in 2001 in accordance with the will of the late Virginia Bader to provide grants to visual artists who have reached the age of 40, reside within 150 miles of Washington, D.C., and whose ability to concentrate on their art would be enhanced by receiving a grant.
Late deadline: September 19. The Smithsonian Craft Show is a juried exhibition and sale of contemporary American crafts and design held annually in Washington, DC. Three jurors who are experts in the field and newly selected each year choose 120 artists from a large pool of applicants.
Teapots
Deadline: September 22. 100 Teapots VIII at Baltimore Clayworks is open to ceramic artists who reside in the United States. Work must have been completed in the past two years.
Public sculpture
Deadline: September 23. The Riverdale Park (MD) Public Art Initiative is announcing a Call for Artists. The initiative seeks five sculptures of various styles and sizes to display for a one year-long placement, at pre-determined, publicly-accessible sites within the Town of Riverdale Park. The stipend is $2,000 per selected work.
Art League solo exhibits
Deadline: September 23. Entry is now open for 2018 solo artist exhibits at The Art League. Entry is open to all Art League exhibiting artist members.
Paintings
Deadline: September 28. “Root to Bloom: Places Artists Call Home” at Principle Gallery (Alexandria, VA) will feature paintings representative of where the featured artists call “home.” Works must be paintings no more than 40 inches along the longest edge (measured unframed).
Contemporary craft
Deadline: September 30. The Greater Denton Arts Council announces the opening of its 2017 Call for Entries for the 30th Annual Materials: Hard + Soft Contemporary Craft Exhibition. This exhibition celebrates the evolving field of contemporary craft and the innovation of artists who push the boundaries of their chosen media.
Blue
Deadline: September 30. The 26th Annual Strathmore Juried Exhibition celebrates La Vie en Bleu, or “life in blue,” and welcomes entries of original artwork in all mediums that take inspiration from the theme of blue, including in nature, color theory, emotion, and more. All media are eligible.
Maryland residency
Deadline: September 30. VisArts invites applications and proposals from local, national, and international artists for a four month residency at VisArts at Rockville, MD.
Small works
Deadline: September 30. The Council for the Arts (Chambersburg, PA) presents “Miniature Art 2016.” 2-D artwork must have an image size no greater than 4″ by 6″, and sculpture should not exceed 5″ in any direction. No crafts, jewelry, photography, laser prints or computer-generated artwork.
Photography about homelessness
Deadline: October 1. For Picture This, organized by Flashlight Baltimore, entries can depict the homeless experience from around the country, however the Baltimore region is preferred. Entries must be original photography.
Bas-relief
Deadline: October 3. The Dexter Jones Award, an unrestricted prize of $5,000, is presented annually to a sculptor for an outstanding work of sculpture in bas-relief. Each competitor must be a United States sculptor between the ages of 18 and 39.
Young at Art
Artwork drop-off: October 4. Young at Art at Durant Arts Center is open to all DC-area residents ages 55 and older. All media are accepted and cash prizes will be awarded.
Fotoweek 2016
Deadline: October 7. There are three categories, and a chance to win cash prizes & have your photographs featured in the FotoWeekCentral gallery at the National Geographic Museum during this fall’s FotoWeekDC festival.
Figure & figurative
Deadline: October 11. Gallery Underground announces “Figuratively Speaking,” a national juried art competition. All-media artists, sculptors, and photographers are invited to create visual works that interpret the theme “Figuratively Speaking” in two different ways: by depicting human forms, faces and features in representational or abstract works (portraiture, sculpture and all subject matter including people); or works which depict a broader interpretation of the theme, such as figurative language and figures of speech.
Awards for career development
Deadline: October 15. The 2016 S&R Foundation Washington Award application is now open! Every year the S&R Foundation awards four $5,000 prizes to emerging artists working in a broad range of disciplines including painting, photography, sculpture, music, dance, dramatic arts, film, digital, and interdisciplinary arts.
The author (in green) poses with her Basic Drawing class and their teacher, Scott Hutchison.
Today’s guest post is by Claire Mouledoux, vice president of communications for Visit Alexandria who is one of Alexandria’s 40 Under 40 honorees and a former member of The Art League Advisory Council.
If you are considering taking a basic drawing class for the first time, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
I took basic drawing with artist and Art League instructor Scott Hutchison and it was a great experience. As someone with a busy career and other life demands, I was feeling depleted creatively. I had taken a drawing course in college and there were other periods in life where I was dedicated to different kinds of crafting. Enrolling in an art class guaranteed I would spend time each week using my hands to make art.
It also allowed me to connect with people of other learning levels — some drawing for the first time and others much more advanced than me. It turned out that the class was not only enriching, it was fulfilling in some ways that I didn’t expect. Here are five things I learned:
All images courtesy Claire Mouledoux
Go with the flow
One of our very first assignments was blind contour drawing, which is essentially looking at an object and drawing it in a continuous line without looking at your paper. As someone who likes to get things just right, it was a great exercise in letting go of my expectations and going with the flow to see what creation emerges.
Sometimes white is shades of gray
One thing I loved about drawing class was that I got to practice making myself let go of preconceived notions of what I think I see. In this case it was a white pyramid on a white tablecloth. How on earth are you supposed to draw white on white? As Scott showed us, when you looked carefully, each surface was a different shade just waiting to be rendered. How often in life do we make quick judgments of things we observe? It’s exhilarating to step away from common perception to see a more nuanced reality.
Shading is meditation
When shading, it was tempting to simply press down hard on my pencil to make a darker mark. Our instructor Scott taught us to shade in layers, building depth and richness gradually. As you can imagine, this takes time — and patience. It’s not easy to step away from the fast-paced demands of life and be completely absorbed in the moment. I found myself going into a state of meditation as I gave in to the process of shading. Not only was it calming, it was satisfying to see the result.
Drawing can raise eyebrows
Scott led a very fun activity in which one 8 ½ × 11 image of a face was cut into a grid of squares and we were each given two of those squares. Without a reference to the full face, the challenge was to represent as closely as possible what you see in that small square frame. Once the drawings were hung together, it was a treat to see that a class friend and I had created two sides of the same eyebrow.
Hands are hard – and you feel like a boss when you begin to master them
Even professional artists say that drawing hands is difficult. But after the coaching and hours of practice that came through the basic drawing course, it was very rewarding to use my new skills to make a drawing that actually looked like hands.
Of course I learned many other things over the course of basic drawing class. I hope you’ll sign up now if you haven’t already – and make your own top five list!
The Art of Politics
Paintings by Michael Fischerkeller
September 7–October 2, 2016
Michael Fischerkeller is a political scientist and a self-taught artist.
Here’s his palette:
Here’s his exhibit:
“The Art of Politics” has just opened at The Art League, and you can see it through Sunday, October 2!
Fischerkeller creates his paintings on large canvases, the better to fit the large issues his art addresses. Fifteen are included in this exhibitThey’re made with spray paint and hand-cut stencils, as you can see in the video at the top of this post.
Instead of focusing on political personalities, Fischerkeller takes on issues: homelessness, climate change, criminal justice. The figures in his paintings are often women transported from art history.
Deadline: September 12. (Late deadline September 19). The Smithsonian Craft Show is a juried exhibition and sale of contemporary American crafts and design held annually in Washington, DC. Three jurors who are experts in the field and newly selected each year choose 120 artists from a large pool of applicants.
Teapots
Deadline: September 22. 100 Teapots VIII at Baltimore Clayworks is open to ceramic artists who reside in the United States. Work must have been completed in the past two years.
Blue
Deadline: September 30. The 26th Annual Strathmore Juried Exhibition celebrates La Vie en Bleu, or “life in blue,” and welcomes entries of original artwork in all mediums that take inspiration from the theme of blue, including in nature, color theory, emotion, and more. All media are eligible.
Re-runs: These announcements have been posted here before, but it’s not too late to enter!
Paint Great Falls
Deadline: Open until spaces are filled. Artists are invited to register online to participate in the second annual Paint Great Falls: Plein Air Competition in Great Falls, VA.
F.E.A.S.T.
Deadline: September 6. F.E.A.S.T. at VisArts 2016 (Funding Emerging Art with Sustainable Tactics) is a bridge between artists and the community. F.E.A.S.T. is a public meal designed to use community-driven financial support to democratically fund projects that use art and creative thinking to impact the community. F.E.A.S.T. at VisArts 2016 will take place on September 25th on the Rooftop at VisArts in Rockville, Maryland, 11:30 to 3:00 PM.
Portrait competition
Deadline: September 6. Artists 18 years or older residing in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, and Delaware are invited to enter the 8th Annual Expressions Portrait Competition. No photography, computer art, or reproductions. Judge: Jordan Xu.
The nude figure
Deadline: September 9. The Nude Figure at Wayne Art Center in Wayne, PA is juried by Paul DuSold and Scott Noel. Open to all artists working in painting, drawing and sculpture.
Op-Ed at The Art League
Deadline: September 12. Online entry only. For Op-Ed, Art League members are invited to express their views about current cultural, political, or personal events – whatever you feel passionately about. Artists are encouraged to create statement pieces that will evoke a response. Juror: David Bellard, photographer.
Migration
Deadline: September 13. #Migration61, at all six Busboys and Poets locations in the DC area, is open to all media except freestanding sculpture. Artwork does NOT have to be created in the aesthetic style of Jacob Lawrence. The topic or content of the work, though, must reflect the theme of migration/emigration/immigration.
DC-area artists
Deadline: September 15. The Franz and Virginia Bader Fund was established in 2001 in accordance with the will of the late Virginia Bader to provide grants to visual artists who have reached the age of 40, reside within 150 miles of Washington, D.C., and whose ability to concentrate on their art would be enhanced by receiving a grant.
Deadline: September 23. The Riverdale Park (MD) Public Art Initiative is announcing a Call for Artists. The initiative seeks five sculptures of various styles and sizes to display for a one year-long placement, at pre-determined, publicly-accessible sites within the Town of Riverdale Park. The stipend is $2,000 per selected work.
Art League solo exhibits
Deadline: September 23. Entry is now open for 2018 solo artist exhibits at The Art League. Entry is open to all Art League exhibiting artist members.
Paintings
Deadline: September 28. “Root to Bloom: Places Artists Call Home” at Principle Gallery (Alexandria, VA) will feature paintings representative of where the featured artists call “home.” Works must be paintings no more than 40 inches along the longest edge (measured unframed).
Contemporary craft
Deadline: September 30. The Greater Denton Arts Council announces the opening of its 2017 Call for Entries for the 30th Annual Materials: Hard + Soft Contemporary Craft Exhibition. This exhibition celebrates the evolving field of contemporary craft and the innovation of artists who push the boundaries of their chosen media.
Maryland residency
Deadline: September 30. VisArts invites applications and proposals from local, national, and international artists for a four month residency at VisArts at Rockville, MD.
Small works
Deadline: September 30. The Council for the Arts (Chambersburg, PA) presents “Miniature Art 2016.” 2-D artwork must have an image size no greater than 4″ by 6″, and sculpture should not exceed 5″ in any direction. No crafts, jewelry, photography, laser prints or computer-generated artwork.
Photography about homelessness
Deadline: October 1. For Picture This, organized by Flashlight Baltimore, entries can depict the homeless experience from around the country, however the Baltimore region is preferred. Entries must be original photography.
Bas-relief
Deadline: October 3. The Dexter Jones Award, an unrestricted prize of $5,000, is presented annually to a sculptor for an outstanding work of sculpture in bas-relief. Each competitor must be a United States sculptor between the ages of 18 and 39.
Young at Art
Artwork drop-off: October 4. Young at Art at Durant Arts Center is open to all DC-area residents ages 55 and older. All media are accepted and cash prizes will be awarded.
Fotoweek 2016
Deadline: October 7. There are three categories, and a chance to win cash prizes & have your photographs featured in the FotoWeekCentral gallery at the National Geographic Museum during this fall’s FotoWeekDC festival.
Figure & figurative
Deadline: October 11. Gallery Underground announces “Figuratively Speaking,” a national juried art competition. All-media artists, sculptors, and photographers are invited to create visual works that interpret the theme “Figuratively Speaking” in two different ways: by depicting human forms, faces and features in representational or abstract works (portraiture, sculpture and all subject matter including people); or works which depict a broader interpretation of the theme, such as figurative language and figures of speech.
Awards for career development
Deadline: October 15. The 2016 S&R Foundation Washington Award application is now open! Every year the S&R Foundation awards four $5,000 prizes to emerging artists working in a broad range of disciplines including painting, photography, sculpture, music, dance, dramatic arts, film, digital, and interdisciplinary arts.
Buoyant, oil, by Sheila Harrington. 6″ × 6″. Winner of the Chameli & Amiya Bose Saha Memorial Award for Best in Show.
For artist Sheila Harrington, each day is a celebration. Each day is also a work day — whether that means sketching, illustrating, graphic design, or painting.
With the calendar as her muse, Harrington has filled sketchbooks, created an art blog, and painted an ongoing series centered around food and the landscape. The unconventional landscape above was named Best in Show in this month’s “Landschap” landscape exhibit, so we took the opportunity to find out more about the artist and her work.
Is this piece part of the same series as the works in your 2015 “Each Day is a Celebration” exhibit? How would you describe this series?
Sheila Harrington: Yes, it is. The series actually grew out of years of keeping sketchbooks and then an art blog, in which I looked at (sometimes seriously, occasionally humorously) various aspects of the festivals of the year, the cycles of nature and the juxtaposition of the natural and the man-made. The paintings have been a more formal exploration of this preoccupation.
What was the initial inspiration for combining still life and landscape in this way?
It’s an evolution from the tabletop still-lifes with which I began. In their own way, the still-lifes are also landscapes, but I’ve been working on expressing a more complex “story” by bringing in elements of landscape and architecture. I’m also starting to bring in a figurative element, but that’s difficult to manage subtly without the figure becoming the focus.
Lemonade, oil on linen on panel, by Sheila Harrington. 6″ × 6″.
Where is this landscape?
It’s inspired by the Dordogne region of France, but not literally depicted.
Are all your paintings this size? What appeals to you about the small format?
Many are, but some more recent work is somewhat larger, because of its increasing complexity. I really love the small size, though, because of their feeling of intimacy. I also like the challenge of trying to express a large world in a small space.
What connects the balloon to the cabbage and endive?
Ah, that would be telling! My preference is to leave interpretation to the viewer.
However, I will say, hmmm … I was trying to convey parallel and contrasting experiences: elation/communion/departure, nearness/distance, both physically and psychologically. (A lot to ask of an endive.) It’s the first time I’ve tried to put words to it, even inwardly—when I’m painting it’s all visual and felt, and something seems to work, or not.
Nine paintings from “Each Day is a Celebration,” an ongoing series by Sheila Harrington.
Sometimes viewers have revealed to me what I hadn’t fully understood was there, or they have found something personal to themselves—that is very exciting.
Other than oil, what media do you work with?
In my sketchbooks I use a lot of pen and ink and watercolor.
What’s your creative process like? What’s a typical day of painting?
I try very hard to keep a regular work day in the studio. It gets interrupted, of course, like everyone’s, with other tasks — carpooling, taking the dog for a walk, the basement flooding, etc. But I’m pretty obsessively disciplined. If I’m not working on something, it feels wrong. I carry a sketchbook and planner with me everywhere and I work out ahead of time roughly what I want to be working on. Pretty much everything takes longer than I think it will, but I have definite goals.
What are you working on now?
I have in progress a number of new paintings in this series. I have several graphic design deadlines (that’s my early training, and my bread & butter work). I also have a completely different project, a line of whimsical illustrated cards that look nothing like my paintings. For years I made one-offs for friends’ various celebrations and my husband convinced me to do more than that. They are fun for me to do and are carried by some shops in DC.
“Landschap” is on view through Sunday, September 4.
The Art League has been nominated as one of the best places in DC to take classes! We’ve been nominated by The Washington Post and Express as part of the annual Best of DC poll.
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