Linda Brinker Hafer Award for Best in Show

Ron Colbroth, Still Waters

Anne Banks Award for Mixed Media

Abol Bahadori, Reverie

Honorable Mentions

Young Choi, Follower

Liana Goncharuk, Contemplation

Monna Kauppinen, Two of a Kind

Marcia Klioze, Cinderella

Pete McCutchen, Potomac

Tom Sliter, Cape Petral

Carol Stalun, Misty Morning

Alex Tolstoy, Light Through the Isle

Ann Wallace, Fruit and Flowers

Justin Worrell, Children of Aurora

View the Flickr album here!

Mirrors, windows, ponds, and puddles—this month, viewers might be seeing double. 207 artists offered their own unique understanding of the theme “Reflections,” and their interpretations were as creative and distinct as the artists themselves. From the glimmer of light reflecting off a waxy habanero pepper, to the perfectly mirrored image of a heron at hunt, Art League members proved once again their imagination is vast—and that reflections go beyond the surface.

Our juror was acclaimed painter and founding member of the Washington Studio School, Carlton Fletcher. Of the jury process, Fletcher commented that he was especially scrupulous with the work submitted by fellow painters, remarking that “painting has the additional requirement of managing technique, color, and materials. It has these added hurdles.”

Fletcher urged all artists, but especially painters, printmakers, and draftsmen, to study from life as much as possible. “Studying from life is the foundation, it’s the beginning.” In his eyes, once an artist has a sturdy foundation built from observation, they can move towards more inventive techniques. He remarked, “I do a fair amount of invention, but it’s predicated upon the fact that I’ve painted a lot from observation in order to feel capable inventing.”

This month, two award winners were selected: Ron Colbroth’s Still Waters received the Linda Brinker Hafer Award for Best in Show, and Abol Bahadori received the Anne Banks Collage/Mixed Media Award for Reverie. 10 other artists were bestowed an honorable mention for their sterling efforts. One might wonder what, out of the 100 artworks chosen for this exhibit, made these 12 artworks capture a coveted golden seal. According to Fletcher, “They need to read from across the room—and then reward you for coming in for a closer look. That is what I call graphic power.”

Fletcher encouraged artists to stay focused and keep creating, regardless of whether or not their work was exhibited this month. “Don’t let anything throw you—get right back to work.””

— Written by Haven Ashley