Megan Partridge’s bugs not only bring their own life to the canvas...but also a similarity to our own every day lives. The very human feelings of imbibing too much, or inspiration, or of smugness are portrayed in the style of work as well as the expression of the bugs.

January 11, 2019

Escape to the Bahamas with The Art League

Travel Workshops

The Art League makes a trip to the sunny Bahamas each year in February, and painters of all media join to paint en plein air (because sun and sand make for better conditions than snow and wind) in one of our travel workshops. Instructor Susan O'Neill will guide the group this year.

July 13, 2018

Guest Instructor Kathleen Calhoun Sets the Tone

Art Classes, News

Kathleen Calhoun's upcoming workshop guides more experienced students through techniques to elevate their artwork and to compose eye catching pieces.

April 23, 2018

Plein Air Painting: What It Is & How to Join the Fun

Art Classes, Artful Resources

When the weather’s beautiful and the skies are blue, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing — reading, cooking, writing a blog post — you want to do it outside.

April 6, 2018

On View: The Feeling of Manhattan

Exhibits

In our latest solo exhibit, artist Robert Gilbert brings bustling Manhattan into our gallery in Old Town Alexandria.

March 30, 2018

Photos from Yesterday’s Draw-a-Thon

Events

On Thursday, we held a members-only Draw-a-Thon at The Art League. That means short-pose figure, long-pose portrait, and bring-your-own art materials.

February 1, 2018

Sardar Aziz’s Cityscape in Flux

Artist Interviews

“I wanted to capture how we as humans build a city and then rebuild it, right from the ground up, again and again.”

January 26, 2018

Kathleen Best Gillmann’s Winter Landscapes

Artist Interviews

“My goal in painting March Thaw was to capture the briskness, barrenness, and beauty of this location.”

January 16, 2018

New to Painting? Read Our Guides to Brushes & Paint

Artful Resources

Read on for a crash course and links to more info. And best of luck on your creative journey!

December 28, 2017

How “Natura Morta” Came to Be

Artist Interviews

Many artists have a back burner where they hold onto ideas for years. This one just took a little longer than most to make it onto canvas.

December 1, 2017

Special Opening Reception: “Natura Morta”

Exhibits, News

Halbrooks's still lifes are hidden under undulating cloth, leaving the viewer to only guess at what's underneath. Of course, the drapery is a delight in its own right.

October 23, 2017

Sarah Dax Solano: Blurring the Boundaries of Painting

Artist Interviews

Sarah Dax Solano is embarking on a new series that combines abstraction, realism, and a large format — and this painting is the first in the series.

August 24, 2017

A Best-in-Show Painting That’s Wrapped Up in Red

Artist Interviews

“It was a challenge to create something that was monochromatic but interesting.”

July 6, 2017

Painter Sally Davies Takes a Global View

Exhibits

How would you describe the perspective in these paintings? "Bird's-eye" is a phrase that comes to mind — but there's something more.

May 25, 2017

Wen LePore’s Unplanned, Unpredictable Paintings

Artist Interviews

This is a typical painting for me: It came from a mistake or unpredictability.

May 19, 2017

Feeling the Creative Heat?

Art Classes

Heat, it turns out, is also an important part of an artist’s toolkit.

April 27, 2017

No Paint Required: A Different Kind of Painting Workshop

Art Classes

Want to make paintings that last through the ages?

December 7, 2016

Now Open: Trick Your Eye, Enrich Your Spirit

Exhibits

Art League artists are finishing strong this year, with two December exhibits that will have you singing.

October 27, 2016

Lizzy Lunday Paints the Complicated Relationship Between “Women and Food”

Artist Interviews

“These paintings … contradict everything that we’ve been taught as women to show of ourselves.”

September 28, 2016

Linda Lowery’s Screaming Newborns

Artist Interviews

We like to say the best artwork "speaks to us" — and sometimes, it screams.

September 21, 2016

You’re Invited: “The Art of Politics” Artist Talk

Events, Exhibits

Michael Fischerkeller will share the details of his process, the ideas behind his exhibit, and the responses and stories it has elicited.

September 8, 2016

Spray Painting “The Art of Politics”

Exhibits

Michael Fischerkeller is a political scientist and a self-taught artist.

September 2, 2016

Sheila Harrington’s Celebratory Paintings

Artist Interviews

“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.”

July 14, 2016

Greetings from Kennebunk, Maine

Exhibits

One of the reasons we love “Vision at Water's Edge” so much is the way it transports you to the places depicted in the paintings.

Tag: painting

Bugs’ Life: Megan Partridge’s “Bugs. Or Kafka on Prozac.” Brings Humanity to the Insect World