INFLUENCE & inspiration The Art League Faculty Celebrates 60 Years Art League Students reflect on Art League Faculty
Barrett (Barrie) Ripin The Art League is in a league of its own in the Washington DC metropolitan area, and, in my opinion, is running with the likes of New York’s Student Art League, Scottsdale Student’s Art School, and other great centers of art instruction. While fine art instructors and facilities can be found in abundance in the area, The Art League has it all in one place. What I love about The Art League is its exceptionally large and talented pool of instructors, each with their own style of presentation, set of techniques, for every experience level. Personally, I usually like to take one or two class from a faculty member, and then move on to another to get fresh perspectives. I can flit at whim and try many media at The Art League, and have. In a few cases, I have stuck with an exceptional instructor for many classes. Danni Dawson is one of these incredible Art League assets – although I can never aspire to develop a painting level she has in her little finger, I always learn something new – every class of hers - she is so patient, she is a treasure. Another important influence in my art development is the sculptor Charles Johnson, who passed away very recently. Other aspects of The Art League that deserve special mention: It’s many reasonably priced Open Life sessions for painting and, recently, sculpture is a wonderful asset. This would not be possible without the many talented professional models used in classes. The monthly Gallery competitions and Bin, both well managed by Rose O’Donnell, offer both validation (when accepted) and art sale possibility. And last but not least, the front office personnel are always friendly and helpful, and willing to consider suggestions. Art League – best wishes on your 60th anniversary, and thank you.
Brigitte Davis Thank you Margaretha, Marsha, Delna, David, Bev, Nancy, Lisa, Brenda, Paul, Rob, Avis, Deanna, Priscilla, Rosemary, Melissa, and all the wonderful Art League teachers with whom I have taken classes. You have inspired me, built my creative confidence, taught me to look at the world with an artist eye and see what is, not simply what I think it is.You have taught me techniques and told me to break them, to have fun, to be curious, to experiment, to risk, and to welcome failures because failures are good teachers too. Thank you to The Art League School for all the work done behind-the-scenes to make all of these classes available and affordable; and for finding and retaining the best teachers around.You have provided a friend-filled community to return to over and over again and share so much through art. I would not be who and where I am today if it were not for all of you. I am grateful beyond words.
Judy Antico I am deeply grateful for all that The Art League has contributed to my development as an artist during many years of classes at the Torpedo Factory, and I feel privileged to have studied under some of The Art League’s many fine teachers. The late Ted Betts taught the first classes I ever took at The Art League. As a new painter, I appreciated Ted’s positive attitude. He always found something in my work to praise before pointing out where I needed to improve. After a break of about two years while I was out of the country, I returned to The Art League and a new instructor, Gwen Bragg. I had heard Gwen was wonderful at teaching beginners the basics and providing them with an excellent foundation to build on. No one likes to put his or her paintings up for critique, and as a new painter, I was particularly reluctant to do so. But one day, Gwen encouraged me to put up a painting I had just done. I knew that meant she thought that it had more good than bad in it and that I shouldn’t be embarrassed by it. A small thing, but a breakthrough for a beginning artist. Susan Herron introduced me to acrylics and mixed media. She encourages everyone to push themselves and to take risks. One year, she urged me to imagine one of my paintings hanging in the prestigious Mid-Atlantic Show. The next year I tried, and much to my surprise, got in the exhibition. An artist’s life is full of rejections, but also some gratifying rewards. Marsha Staiger’s boundless energy sometimes leaves her students breathless. She never lacks for new ideas and loves to experiment. Enthusiasm – and artistic bravery – are watchwords in her class. Although I am studying abstract art with Marsha, my abiding love for watercolor, nature, and landscape often shows through in my painting.
To force me to make my work more abstract, Marsha will sometimes resort to turning a painting sideways or upside down! In short, Marsha is helping me to take my work in exciting new directions while my love of painting continues to grow. By opening up for me the glorious world of painting and art and, just as important, enabling me to make many wonderful new friends, The Art League and its programs have extraordinarily enriched my life.
John Mashaw Before The Art League, I took advantage of art instruction made available through my local government’s parks and recreation programs. It was a good start, but I was looking for something of higher quality. The Art League provided exactly what I needed. The medium I was pursuing at the time was oil painting. Rick Weaver introduced me to working from life. His individual professionalism showed me that The Art League could tap superb artists for their faculty. Seeking a more fluid medium, I began studying watercolor with Gwen Bragg. I admire Gwen and own two of her wonderful paintings. She helps beginning students understand important principals and uses her many faithful, returning students to reinforce those principals. I continued studying watercolors with Susan Herron, who creates a warm, supportive classroom atmosphere, but challenges students to paint at home and share their work with the class. Feedback from classmates and instructor is always positive and affirming. Although enjoyable, I needed something more physical in finding artistic expression. The Art League’s classes in wood and stone sculpture were the perfect answer. Although my first instructor was technically competent, he did not have the interpersonal skills that mark the faculty. He was replaced with Nick Xhiku, who was my first exposure to world-class sculptors. A person of great talent with an impressive body of work, Nick is also extremely humble and supportive. He gives extra help to those who need it and allows others to work on their own until they need his feedback. When an important commission took Mick out of the country for an extended period, The Art League tapped George Tkabladze. Also a world-class sculptor, George is an excellent teacher. He and Nick come to the classroom studio with impressive formal training and share from their
experience and knowledge. My Art League instructors have also become friends. Those relationships have become an important part of my life and keep me coming back year after year.
Gail Briggs It seems that I have taken 50 classes at The Art League, but how can that be possible? I guess time really does fly when you are having fun. Seven outstanding teachers have taught those classes. While all were great experiences, the class that I keep coming back to is Deborah Ellis’s Water/Color/Paper. Deborah is a talented artist, a gifted teacher, and a caring person. Her still life setups are both inspired and inspiring. She has a real knack for bringing out the best in her students, stimulating both the creative and the intellectual sides of our brains. It’s no wonder that Deborah has such a devoted following of painters, who all look forward to our Tuesday “salons”.
Lucinda M. Vavoudis My experience with The Art League School began by word of mouth when I first starting looking into local art classes. I have since taken more than 40 classes with The Art League, mostly in watercolors and acrylic abstract painting. For me the school is a community, a place to have fun and to learn new art media, improve techniques, and to develop as an artist. I appreciate that the teachers are working artists, evolving and exploring even as they take time to teach. Their enthusiasm is palpable. It must be difficult to offer constructive criticism to individual students of varying experience levels, yet The Art League teachers I’ve had excel at it. Class critiques become an opportunity to learn from each other. Art League teachers generally seem to hold the belief that with enough practice anyone, even I, can create art. Several of my fellow students have become professional artists, with their own styles and body of work. Some of my favorite teachers, to whom I owe the most, include Susan Herron, Steve Fleming, Joyce McCarten, Marsha Staiger and Delna Dastur. I’m especially grateful for their encouragement, enthusiasm, guidance, insight, and experience. Every one of the teachers I’ve had at The Art League has contributed to my development as an artist.
Nancy Jacques Apologies to Miss Browning for the paraphrase, however it is apt for my relationship to The Art League and the people, who make both the school and the gallery one of the top experiences of my life. With a 40 year-old BFA degree in Art from Virginia Commonwealth University, I came to The Art League in 2009. I was a new resident of the DC area with a hankering to pursue something I never could at VCU: Painting. Why, you ask, could I not pursue what I wanted 40 years ago? During the 70’s,VCU’s painting department was not skills-based. “Do your own thing” is not exactly resonant with learning at the undergraduate level. I went into the Fine Crafts instead, where you must learn basic skills first. I mean, one can’t write poetry without first learning vocabulary, right? The Art League School helps its students gain the necessary skill set needed to pursue whatever medium they are interested in. From metal, clay and weaving, to sculpture, portraits, or abstraction or concept, gaining knowledge of your medium is here and with panache! From beginner to professional artist you have opportunities galore. Here, I learned from the best professional artists. From Lisa Semerad to Marsha Staiger, from Sara Poly and Bobbi Pratte to Ted Reed, Danni Dawson and Robert Liberace, I have enthusiastically signed on and soaked up their generous support. As a fellow arts educator, I also can say, without exception, their ability to articulate their expertise is outstanding. But there is more: Whether you are a life-long resident of the DC area or a newcomer like me, The Art League becomes an instant support community. I have found friends I know I will have for life. People here help one
another solve problems of design, technique, and even gain confidence. The Art League is a place that builds skills, provides a welcoming space, and always makes you part of the arts family to whatever degree you wish to participate. And more! The Art League Gallery supports their artists through tireless efforts to promote members in ways that have won the public’s and the art world’s respect. By mounting and promoting monthly-juried shows, art collectors and designers know where to go to see the works of promising artists. The Gallery provides opportunity not only to volunteer and to give back, but also to teach all students the ropes of exhibiting through their annual student show. And the Gallery provides space for artists to sell their work upon acceptance to three shows during the year. What a great way to spur incentive! And now I must move back to the West. I will miss this community dearly. But I also have made dearest friends and gained the equivalent of another college degree in the arts. This time, I gained the skills I need to find my own voice in paint and pursue what is from my spirit, with the skill-tools I have always wanted. Thank you everyone at The Art League for all you do, for all you did for me.
Larry Jarvik I’m a Sunday painter, who does art as a hobby, just for fun. When I started taking classes at The Art League, I didn’t know how to draw the simplest shape, and didn’t believe I had the ability to learn (since I’m color blind). Now, 30 classes, open studios and workshops later, I still feel like a beginner--because I always learn something new and exciting--and I’ve been painting and drawing and sculpting for some eight years. My Art League teachers have been excellent instructors as well as inspiring masters. It has been a pleasure to study under Danni Dawson, Scott Hutchison, Robert Liberace, Sara Linda Poly, Bobbi Pratte, Lisa Semerad, Peter Ulrich, and Nick Xhiku. Each has an individual style and unique personality, but they share a common devotion to students as well as to art. That is the secret ingredient that makes Art League classes so rewarding: In an increasingly standardized and impersonal world, The Art League offers individualized instruction that enables each student to follow an inspiration along his or her own path. The freedom to take classes in any order, at any level, allows classmates from all over the world, at all levels of artistic development, to provide both support and a competitive edge that encourages artistic growth and development. There is neither dogma nor taboo nor assembly line nor party line. Rather, The Art League offers an atmosphere of artistic freedom and subtle encouragement. Additionally, the opportunity to show student work in The Art League Gallery allows the entire process of inspiration, production, and reception to take place under one roof. At The Art League, I learned how to draw and sketch; paint portraits, still lives, and landscapes; how to model a head, torso and figure in clay; how to
hand-build and throw pots on a wheel--yet when I started, I did not think that I would be able to do any of these things. This is how The Art League helps bring to life the advice of Vincent Van Gogh, as recorded in a letter to his brother Theo: “If you hear a voice within you saying, ‘You are not a painter,’ then by all means paint, boy, and that voice will be silenced...”
Facing Forward by Jamie Bluth “If you have trouble drawing an egg, you’re going to have trouble drawing a face,” said the slight, blonde teacher on my first day of portrait class. “Uh oh,” I thought. I couldn’t draw an egg. I couldn’t even draw a straight line. But then she said, “This is a learned skill. Anyone can learn how to do it.” It didn’t really matter if I learned how to do it. I wasn’t in the room to master portrait drawing. I was in the room to get out of the house. I had been having trouble with my eyes not working together, and the vision therapy I’d done to try to fix the problem had set off a terrible dizzy syndrome that was triggered by flickering lights or repeating patterns. For years, while my friends had been climbing the corporate ladder and bragging/complaining about how busy they were, I’d traipsed from specialist to specialist, taken medications that left me groggy and stupid, and lain in bed wishing desperately that someone, anyone, would call and distract me for just a few minutes. TV screens, computer monitors, even text looked like they were pulsating, making me unbearably dizzy. I didn’t have anything to do, and I didn’t have anyone to be. So I’d signed up for art class, even though all I’d ever drawn were stick figures, often complete with drippy blood and wacky thought bubbles. I took the bus, hauling my drawing board and newsprint, as I didn’t dare drive past the strobe lights of an ambulance. I stood in class and did what my portrait teacher, Lisa Semerad, said to do. I drew crosses to figure out the tilt of the head. I made egg-shaped ovals for starts. I thought of hair as a shape. I split the brow. I put the eyes halfway up
the head. I considered, although I couldn’t see it, that some parts of the face would be darker than others. And for two and a half hours a week, I forgot that I was disabled, that my career was in shambles, that I had become nothing in the eyes of most Washingtonians. I signed up for the next session. I practiced over break. I drew a nose a day for thirty days. I didn’t have to get it right, that’s what Lisa had said. I just had to practice. I listened, and I followed directions. If she said the ear was too close to the nose, I moved the ear. If the features were outgrowing the bone structure, I shrank the features. I tried and tried and tried to see changes in dark and light. I fell in love with looking at the model, shocked by how lovely each face became when stared at for hours. I lost track of time. I’d look up at the clock and wish it were earlier. And then I’d take the bus home, keeping my eyes closed as much as possible in case a cop car raced by, lights flashing, and then I’d sleep the rest of the day. It took one year to draw a face that I liked. “That’s a beautiful picture,” Lisa said. “It doesn’t look like the model, but it’s a beautiful picture.” Me, the stick-figure-drawing woman, had drawn a beautiful picture. I’d always thought that artistic people were fundamentally different than non-artistic people, but it turned out that Lisa had been right; this was a learned skill. If I could learn to draw a human face, what else could I learn? What else could she teach me? I signed up for figure class with Lisa, just in case my human face wanted to be on a human body. I followed her directions. I drew blind contour and didn’t peek. I reminded myself, “Joints are big.” I looked for large, organized shadow shapes. I stuck with value and didn’t rush into color. I paid attention to foreshortening. I asked questions, for which Lisa always had a practical answer and a suggestion for home practice. I did the home practice. I listened and I measured and I diligently showed up.
And for five hours a week, I forgot that I was disabled, that people said things to me like, “If I couldn’t work and had to be dependent on a man, I’d kill myself.” I decided to try painting. Lisa only taught one painting class a year, an intermediate class, so I had to fly free and try other teachers. But art was a learned skill, and if I could learn to draw a human eye, surely I could learn to paint. I couldn’t learn to paint. I listened; I followed directions. I made countless, candy-colored, canvas-covering messes. I asked questions and was told, “Your painting is fine.” I asked questions and was told, “If you need two plus two to equal four, you’re never going to be able to make art.” I asked questions and was told, “You are too hard on yourself.” But I wasn’t hard on myself. I was super. I was a person who could’ve lain down in bed and refused to get back up out of despair and defeat over my vision problems. But instead, I’d learned to draw a human face and a human body. I’d had an amazing teacher, and I’d had amazing results. Making a bad painting did not make me a bad person; it just made me a person who made bad paintings. I showed my paintings to Lisa. “Stop using all that medium,” she said. “Less pink; more orange.” I begged her to let me take the intermediate class, even though I wasn’t an intermediate painter. Who knows why she let me in, but she set me up an egg still life. Eggs on pink paper; eggs on turquoise paper. “See the reflected light?” she asked. No, I didn’t see it. “Are you seeing it, or do you know it’s there?” I asked her. “I see it,” she said. But I didn’t see it. And then I did.
“Are those hamburgers?” asked another student in the class, looking at my egg painting on an easel mere feet away from the set-up egg still life. But that didn’t matter. I could see the reflected light. But that was only one class, and she wouldn’t teach it again for another year. I was desperate. “Just sign up for portrait drawing,” she said, “I’ll check in on you when everyone is occupied.” And so I stood in the back of the portrait drawing class, and I painted from a photo. I worked on it and worked on it and worked on it. I listened to Lisa’s clear comments. When she said to switch brushes, I switched brushes. When she said to gently roll a cheek, I tried to gently roll it. “Soften those edges,” she said. “Soften those edges some more.” And there, in the back of the portrait drawing class, in the full heat and humidity of the Duke Street Annex in summer, Lisa taught me to paint. Within one painting, I went from making gaudy gloppy garishness to beautiful, rich, sophisticated color. My drawing teacher, it turns out, was the only one who could teach me to paint. And somewhere along that time, I forgot that I was disabled. I became immune to judgment, to societal expectations. I had something to do. I had endless things to learn. So many people have told me they wish they could draw faces, but won’t even try because they think it’s too hard. They’re so afraid of making a “portrait” that they won’t even start. That’s such nonsense. If I could learn to do it, anyone could learn to do it. They just need the single most excellent teacher ever created, Lisa Semerad. They need to show up, stand in her class, and follow her directions. And then they need to develop a willingness to really examine mouth corners. Which I promise I will get to on this portrait I’m painting… just as soon as I fix that crazy second.
Patricia Williams Art was not included in my formal education, and I came to art by a different path than many of the artists I have encountered. I have worked primarily in the electric utility industry, none of my family or close friends is into art, and I was over 40 when I took my first class. I picked watercolor because it was portable and dried fast—that was the extent of my knowledge of the medium and technique. I was uncertain and intimidated, but I also had a strong desire to learn to paint. With the help of The Art League School’s talented, dedicated teachers and the generosity of other students, eventually I did. More than 20 years later, I’m still active with The Art League, but I no longer go to class primarily for instruction. Instead, class is scheduled time to paint, and some weeks it is my only time to paint. In addition, I value my relationship with other students, or my art jock buddies as my husband calls them. In some respects, these are very intimate relationships, because sharing art, sharing something you have created out of yourself, is a very intimate act. There are people I have been in class with whose work I would recognize anywhere in the world, yet that is the only thing I know about them except that they are my friends. Finally, I go to class for critique. I appreciate people helping my see things in my work, whether good or bad, that I have not seen myself. The Art League Gallery has given me the opportunity to share my work with a wider audience and also to introduce the non-art enthusiasts in my life to art in a non-threatening way. I often bring local friends and out-oftown guests to the gallery so that they can see that art really is for everyone. Having a work accepted in a show is still a thrill. The Art League is a valuable resource for artist and art-appreciator alike. I know of no other organization that
provides so many creative opportunities to so many people in such a unique and accessible way. I have been fortunate to study with many good teachers, but Deborah Ellis, Steve Fleming and Marsha Staiger are responsible for my evolution from art student to artist. Their teaching methods are very different, but they have in common an ability to help students learn to paint and express themselves in whatever way is best for the student. They do not make clones of themselves, they nurture artists. The Ellis Salon is my creative home. It was there that I truly began to learn to paint. It is worth going to class just to see Deborah’s setups. They are beautiful and inspiring, and you don’t have to paint them if you don’t want to. The exercises are deceptively simple but almost always stimulate new insights. The free-for-all critique has saved many a painting, mine included. Everyone I have seen that comes to class, does the exercises and listens to critique improves, often exponentially. Deborah spends most of the class circling the room, offering a question here, and a comment there. She rarely tells you what to do but rather asks questions until you figure it out for yourself. If she says, were you thinking of using another color there, no, you weren’t, but it is exactly what you need. Deborah is a wonderful person and a warm encouraging teacher. She has a way of bringing out the best in every student. I can’t say enough good things about her and her class. If it weren’t for Steve Fleming, I would probably still be putting all my work under the bed in the guest bedroom. He encouraged, no, insisted that I start showing my work, and when I had the opportunity to apply for membership in Touchstone Gallery, he insisted that I do that, too. I wouldn’t have shown any paintings in The Art League Gallery and a gallery wouldn’t represent me if it weren’t for Steve’s not- always-gentle encouragement. More to the point, I wouldn’t have any paintings worthy of showing. He taught me how to spatter and scrape and slap on some collage and equally important when not to. His eye for color is impeccable, and his critique is spot on. He
encourages students to paint whatever it is they want to paint, and if they don’t know, he helps them find out. Then he helps them learn to paint it really, really well. He believes in his students, and he does everything he can to help them succeed. Marsha Staiger gave me a language to say what I had always wanted to say but couldn’t. I wanted to paint on the abstract end of the style continuum, but instead I was painting the ants at the picnic. I couldn’t edit my ideas or my paintings. My first work in Marsha’s class was so bad she sometimes told me I didn’t have to put them up for critique if I didn’t want to, and for a long time my subsequent efforts weren’t much better. Fortunately, she let me keep coming to class. I kept doing the exercises and trying to solve the weekly puzzles she gave us for painting. Slowly, I started to understand, and one day I made a painting instead of a mess. I still make a lot of messes, but I paint some paintings, too, mostly on the abstract end of the style continuum. Marsha is a kind, generous, creative teacher, and her classes are some of the most fun you can have in art. When I was trying to get my nerve up to take a painting class, it never occurred to me that my art could help me in my career, but I learned something from art class that I never learned from the business world: the value of honest criticism from someone who is trying to help you be better. In the business world I learned about backstabbing criticism from people who want your job or your funding or your office. In art class, I learned about criticism from people who want you to succeed and support you by offering thoughtful suggestions for making your painting better. Eventually it occurred to me that I could use this knowledge to become more successful in my career and life. As a communications consultant, I often resented people’s comments on my work—after all, I was the writer and every word was a jewel. After a couple years in art class, I realized maybe I should start paying attention to
what others said. I quit being defensive and started asking people for feedback. When I drafted a report for large study group, I made sure everyone had a chance to comment, and I incorporated as many of their suggestions as I could. I also realized that when someone disagreed with me, it wasn’t necessarily a personal attack. The person was probably offering an honest view. There are still plenty of backstabbing people in the business world, but they don’t bother me much. From art I learned to first consider whether a criticism is true or a suggestion is useful. If it is, it doesn’t matter where it comes from. I try to incorporate it in an appropriate way in whatever I am doing. If I don’t know whether it is useful, I consider the source. Does it come from someone whose viewpoint I value or who has demonstrated good judgment on this issue in the past? If so, I give it some more thought. If I don’t think it is useful, there’s no need to waste energy on defensiveness or anger. I wish I had learned that earlier, but I’m grateful to have learned it at all. Thanks Art League.
Megan Evans I was drawn to the idea of an art school in a repurposed factory on Alexandria waterfront. As a student I have worked in different medias – color pencil, watercolor, drawing. Meeting other artists has been mind-expanding, developing and honing my own abilities has been exciting to my creative “genes”. I particularly enjoyed Avis Fleming’s drawing classes, which not only trained my eyes and fingers, but also taught me the techniques and styles of artists from previous eras. The watercolor classes with Deborah Ellis are creative. Not only and imaginative artist—she is a superb teacher. When I was struggling over a landscape of mountains and Black Angus cattle, she urged me to write about what attracted me to the view; therefore thinking, feeling more closely the image I was trying to create. I enjoy strolling through The Art League and the Torpedo Factory and showing the creative endeavors to visitors. The Art League is an important part of my life.
Kathryn Stevens What appeals to me most about The Art League is that it offers the new as well as the seasoned student an exciting and stimulating range of courses in virtually everything from drawing to the fiber arts. The list of possibilities seems endless. Best of all, The Art League is blessed with dozens of talented artists on its faculty. These dedicated instructors share their expertise and ideas in innovative ways, inspiring their students to explore and to develop their own talents. It is impossible to imagine not having The Art League. Life would not be the same without it. May it live and thrive for another 60 years!
Judy Searles I was tricked into taking art classes! My husband had become interested in art because I was traveling a lot for my job. He decided he wanted to take a Maine workshop with Steve Fleming and that I would go too. I thought: “maybe I’ll just take photos”, but Steve said he’d be glad to have a beginner along so…that was that. I hadn’t taken an art class since I was in 7th grade so I took a beginner class with Gwen Bragg to find out which end of the brush to hold. It was successful and although I had never painted plein art and my work was rustic, I loved the Maine workshop and Steve’s patience and sense of humor. I was off and running. Over the years, I have taken many classes and workshops with Steve, and fell that they grounded me well in color and composition while still leaving me free to be me. Probably my favorite class was abstract painting where I had a ball splashing, slopping and generally making a colorful mess! It was both freeing and creative. I’ve also enjoyed classes and workshops with Susan Herron, Brenda Belfield, Ted Betts and Marsha Staiger. I came away from each benefiting by their experience and generosity. Having wanted to try printmaking, I took a beginning class with Penny Berringer and that was IT – I knew I had found my passion! Many classes and workshops later, I still explore the media and its versatility and relatively instant feedback. Penny’s vast expertise and infinite patience are unexcelled. I love the friendly environment of the atelier, and being able to use it on my own time. Overall, The Art League has been a wonderful place to find my creative spirit, make friends and see wonderful art in the making. I wish it many more years of success!
Luana Bossolo Susan Herron’s lessons span beyond the classroom into everyday life. She teaches her students how to recognize the beauty in the ordinary like a purple streaked sky, a pink cluster of clouds or the sun blazing on a stark white house and capture it in watercolor.
Susan Lowry Making art has changed my perceptions of the world and how and what I see. In my first beginning classes, I began to understand that every thing in the world is darker or lighter than what is next to it. Not only that, but colored objects have different colors depending on the light that is shed on them. Then there is the task of designing an object with three dimensions to continue to look three-dimensional on a two dimensional surface. I never would have begun to notice these things without the help of an Art League teacher and I am grateful for their expertise and patience. As I continued to take courses, I began to understand things such as the planes of the hands and feet and the angles of the head, which I learned in some of The Art League’s really valuable workshops. Working outdoors and painting landscapes was another wonderful experience and taught me to edit what I saw. As I became more adept at painting, I began to see friends and family in a different way simply by looking carefully at their expressions and how they moved and looked in different lights. All of these things changed my world and my understanding of what I saw. One of the interesting things about learning art is that you gradually find after taking a number of courses that one or more are particularly attractive. Some people love doing watercolors because they like drawing and detail. Others enjoy loosely painting with oil or acrylic colors or perhaps working with pottery or fabric. These choices are part of the artist’s personality and may very well develop into something that is a new style of working with the chosen medium. Realizing that you can make something that is uniquely yours helps you understand whom you are. It is always interesting to go back and look at the work you have done over the years and realize that some of it is much better than you thought it was and to recognize the mistakes you would make now.
The wonderful thing about taking art courses is that they are self affirming – you are able to express what is within you by making something outside of yourself.Your understanding of the great artists of the past and your perception of the world will change profoundly and enrich your life in a unique and beautiful way. P.S.: Some of the outstanding teacher I had were Scott Hutchison for his beginning and intermediate painting classes, David Carter for his workshop on hands and feet and his course on color, Robert Liberace for his anatomy classes, Lisa Semerad for her courses on design and Sara Linda Poly for her plein air courses and winter course on landscape painting.
Eleanor Snyder I am one of Mike Francis’ students and have been taking his painting course for many years. I find myself signing up for his course in painting every year in anticipation of becoming a better artist. In his class we learn new painting techniques, paint handling, exploring composition and new techniques. Mike is very knowledgeable in all aspects of art including art history. Every day at noon we have a painting demonstration or a lecture on a certain aspect of art history or cameo on a particular artist. Because of Mike’s sense of humour, he makes this noon-time session my “special”. In the studio, Mike takes time with each student, guiding them through their painting, and giving suggestions and confidence in its development.
Jill Brantley When I moved to Alexandria from Vienna,Virginia fourteen years ago, I had no inkling that living so close to the Torpedo Factory Art Center would be life changing for me. I was going through a time of huge personal upheaval. Though I was working part-time, I felt an emptiness and was very much at loose ends with time to fill. I had heard about The Art League School in the Torpedo Factory while I still lived in Vienna because I was interested in taking some art classes. However, with time constraints at the time because of raising a family, it was too far to go. Well, suddenly here I was in Alexandria with The Art League School within walking distance of my front door! No excuses now!! So over a morning cup of coffee, I investigated the school’s catalogue of classes. Wow! There were so many! I remember feeling myself getting excited just thinking about all the choices. I realized I had not had much experience in taking art classes. What should be my first building block, I asked myself? A drawing class of course! I found one on a Friday night to help fill my aloneness - signed up and jumped right in. I don’t even remember who the teacher was. I remember she was a good teacher, that I enjoyed her class and I learned to really “ look “ at what I was actually seeing. I took other drawing classes eventually moving into figure drawing. Then I felt the need for color and paint. I decided to try watercolor. I took several classes with wonderful teachers at The Art League eventually ending up in Ted Bett’s class for about two years until his untimely death. He was a wonderful teacher and artist. He taught me many things but I was noticing that painting with watercolor was tending to make me feel uptight. There’s that “ unforgiving “ quality to it, the difficulty in going over it and “ fixing things “ so to speak. So I thought, why
not try oil? It dries slowly, so you can fix your alleged mistakes. I took two oil painting classes but realized the smell of the mediums bothered me. However, I realized that I liked the feeling of moving the paint around. A friend suggested that I try painting with acrylics, that maybe it doesn’t dry as fast as everyone thinks. The next thing I knew, I was in Joyce McCarten’s Abstract Acrylic class for at least two years. I realized I was really enjoying myself. I then discovered Marsha Staiger’s classes, Bev Ryan and Deanna Schwartzberg. I have been painting in Deanna’s class for about seven years now. I started painting seriously five years ago. I paint in acrylic with mixed media collage. I also take classes with Robert VanderZee. I now have my own website: jillbrantleyart.com and I am a member of Touchstone Gallery in Washington, DC. I regularly enter juried shows and other exhibitions. Who would ever guess, all these life changing steps and a new identity from leafing through the list of classes in The Art League School’s Catalogue over a morning cup of coffee in January 2000.
Connie Elsberg I started taking painting classes through the Art League when a watercolor class happened to be offered offsite at my local community center. I loved the effects a painter can create with watercolor and had sometimes thought that I would like to learn how it was done. But I had never taken an art class and pretty much assumed that I had no talents in that direction. Still, I had always loved looking at art and going to museums, and particularly liked the Abstract Expressionists, and somewhere in the back of my mind there was the desire to give painting a try. When the opportunity appeared practically in my backyard I took it. I was nervous and tried to convince a neighbor to go along with me, but she just rolled her eyes. I was on my own. I walked into a class of talented painters and distinctive personalities. The teacher, Steve Fleming, was encouraging. He welcomed me, suggested supplies to buy, and put me sufficiently at ease that I could jump in and try. People in that class were realistic and humorous about the painting process – they made it clear that it takes lots of tries and plenty of failures, and that’s just how it is. That was what I needed to hear. I think I would have stopped then and there if I’d felt too much pressure to produce something “good.” I certainly wasn’t doing that, and I quickly learned how tricky watercolor can be. But there was also the delight of buying tubes of paint in beautiful colors, and the surprising results of mingling colors on the paper. There was the excitement and absorption associated with a steep learning curve. I took further courses, from Steve and Susan Herron, and others, and produced mixed results, some paintings I liked, others that were discouraging muddy messes. But somewhere along the line I developed faith in the painting and learning process. I remember Steve joking about assuming that, if he just painted enough, the gods of painting would smile down on him. That
may be the greatest gift I received in my early days at the Art League: the instructors were sufficiently patient and encouraging, and fellow students were friendly and accepting enough, that I was able to persevere and trust that something would eventually emerge. Later I took drawing classes, because it seemed like something every art student should do. Again, many results were awkward and certainly showed no signs of a special gift. But drawing was so absorbing; it was like a form of meditation. Especially drawing the figure. And there was always the excitement of what a few lines on paper can do. I enjoyed classes with Priscilla Treacy and Joe Kabriel, and others, and will take more in the future. I remember talking to another student in one of my drawing classes, and saying that I really wanted to paint abstracts. At that point I thought that I should first learn to draw and paint realistically, and then at some time in the future I would be ready to move on to abstraction. The student asked, logically, I realized, that if that was what I wanted to do, why didn’t I just go ahead and do it? That made sense, and somehow freed me to try. I also switched from watercolors to acrylics. Acrylic seemed better suited to abstracts and to my personality, since I don’t like to plan ahead and I enjoy being free to make changes. I didn’t have to “save my whites,” or worry I wouldn’t be able to correct something. (But there wasn’t quite the same excitement that there is when trying to move quickly through the right steps to produce the effects you want in watercolor.)
Sylvia Crombie One day while visiting a patient in the hospital, I was waiting for an elevator and spotted a very handsome painting hanging nearby. I went over to examine it. It was unusually well painted…beautiful color, fine brush strokes, excellent composition. When I examined the signature, it was Danni Dawson. Well that’s how it is here at The Art League. The teachers are outstanding artist who are willing to share their knowledge. As a young woman I worked as an illustrator at a large studio in Washington called Creative Arts. It was great fun being paid to do what you like to do for fun. After a few years I quit to raise a family, went back to work in a job [not art] with very flexible hours so I could be home for my children.Years went by with no painting. When my daughter got married, I decided to do a portrait of her. To my horror I had trouble getting a likeness. Use it or lose it. The Art League to the rescue! What a staff. For a lazy artist, there’s nothing like the stimulation I’ve gotten from being guided by teachers like Mike Francis, Gwen Bragg, Danni Dawson, Patrick Kirwin, Robert Liberace, Sara Linda Poly, Ted Reed and several others. Such Talent! Thanks All!!!
Elizabeth Lloyd My classes at the Art League are a vital part of my life. I look forward the fun of shared learning with classmates of many different backgrounds. The artists who teach the classes are experts who foster an exploration of ideas. It doesn’t matter what the medium is – sculpting, oil painting, watercolor - the artist- teachers are knowledgeable and generous in teaching art history along with technique. Especially gratifying is the interest these practicing artists show in the progress the students make.
Ruth Thomson Why do I love the Art League? Let me list my reasons. A catalog filled with interesting classes. My favorite day of the year is the day the newest Art League catalog is published. I read every page, circling all the classes I want to take. Fantastic teachers, professionals who are eager to share their tools, techniques, and inspirations. Lisa Semerad introduced me to the joys and challenges of drawing from life. Avis Fleming taught me to use a dip pen and Higgins Eternal ink as expressive tools. We students in her Thursday night figure drawing class blew through reams of paper as we drew drew drew . . . and then drew some more. Jackie Saunders inspired me to find the uniqueness of every model and to express personality with ink and wash. Robert Liberace encouraged me to look at the human form more searchingly and accurately and to turn to the Old Masters for guidance. Susan Herron showed me the pleasure and possibilities of loose washy watercolors. Priscilla Treacy and Susan Abbot taught me how to see and to capture color. A diverse student body. I have met people in my classes who have become my best friends. I have learned from and been inspired by my classmates. Helpful and friendly staff in the school’s office and supply store. Enthusiastic and supportive gallery staff. What began for me as a simple desire to learn how to draw has become a life-long passion, my compulsion. I simply cannot imagine what my life would be like without the Art League. It makes Alexandria the best home town in the country.
Donna Sturm Since moving to DC more than 30 years ago, I’ve taken art classes through the Smithsonian, Northern Virginia Community College, the Corcoran School of Art, George Washington University, and others. My experiences of the instructors and classes at The Art League are on a par with, or indeed exceed all of these. I’d like to pay special tribute to Gwen Bragg, one of the Art League’s watercolor instructors. I’ve been taking Gwen’s classes for more years than I can count – 20?? More?? And keep coming back. Why? I cannot begin to count the reasons: inspiration, stimulation, camaraderie, encouragement. Gwen is a living treasure! She is a talented and accomplished professional watercolourist who shares generously of her knowledge and experience with all her students. She provides excellent instruction at all levels of ability, and a safe, open environment in which to experiment and explore in every direction imaginable. And her critiques are worth the price of admission. Gwen organizes a large student show every year, which gives her students an opportunity to mat, frame, and present their work to the eyes of friends, family, a wider community. I mean, what other teacher does that? Gwen also teaches a number of annual workshops locally and internationally to create more opportunities to make painting an adventure. She also helps to expand student awareness by encouraging participation in the arts organizations in the area, and sets an example of commitment, involvement, and leadership in local, regional and national art organizations. She has served as President of the Art League, for example, as well as of the Potomac Valley Watercolor Society, and is currently President of the Virginia Watercolor Society. (I’m certain the list could go on!) She has been a friend, mentor, and wonderful example to us all. I am most grateful to be able to benefit from her wisdom, insight and energy.
Marjorie Powell By 1999 I had enrolled in an abstract painting course at the Art League. Deirdre Saunder taught the course with encouragement, knowledge and creativity, and my fellow students and I loved it. She also shared her outside artistic activities, which to me was an important look into the art scene in the DC area. Most of us began painting with Marsha Staiger when Deirdre stopped teaching the course. She told us we would love Marsha, and we did. A core group of us call ourselves the “Marsha groupies” and have taken courses with Marsha for over ten years. Marsha has an indescribable ability to inspire her students to go ”outside the box” and let original ideas come forth. She gives suggestions (sometimes with colored pieces of scrap paper temporarily stuck up with spit on the students’ works). The philosophy in her classes is that no one and nothing is “wrong.” She has humor, a positive outlook and lots of warmth. All of the other instructors I have painted with, on a substitute or workshop basis were also exceptional. The Art League has a positive way of finding great teachers. The organization of the class schedules seems to work seamlessly, at least to the student. And I find the Art League store very convenient and well stocked for the needs of the classes. The Art League Gallery monthly exhibits are a great opportunity to enter artistic works for display, and the shows are always of very high quality. The competition is keen, and it serves to give me an incentive to work harder to gain acceptance into a show. Rose O’ Donnell does a superb job of infusing the Gallery with accomplished and diverse works. She also plans activities of interest to both the student and the community. The problem is finding time to participate in all of them.
It’s hard to put into words what the Art League means to me. It has fueled my creativity and encouraged me to push forward with my art in terms of techniques, aesthetics, opportunities, and experimentation. I can’t go very long without getting to Alexandria and becoming immersed in the Art League.
Laura Ritzenhaler I have been taking classes at The Art League for the last 10 years and have enjoyed every minute of it. The school and faculty are welcoming and really care that the students have a good experience. Fantastic instructors have led each class or workshop that I have taken, and I learned so much. I’ve also made a lot of friends with both instructors and fellow students. The Art League is a terrific community! The one person that stands out for me is Susan Herron. Susan’s Beginning Watercolor class was my first class at The Art League back in 2003. In high school and college, I had enjoyed taking art classes but never pursued art further in my adult life. But as soon as I had my first class with Susan Herron I know I found the medium and the teacher who would change all of this. In addition to her incredible kindness, patience, encouragement and support, Susan is a wonderful teacher for a beginner. She takes you through the progressive steps of learning to paint in a logical, systematic and hands-on way. Her lectures, demonstrations and exercises give you the confidence to paint and to keep painting and learning…and painting some more. Susan’s encouragement and guidance opened up the door to a pastime I love and one that has given me tremendous joy. I have recommended Susan’s classes to so many people, particularly those who don’t have much of an art background. I promise them that whatever their skill or experience is, you can enjoy painting and progress. Susan has given me a very precious gift and I’ll forever be grateful!
Janet Lynn Sahaj I came late to the painting world, after retiring, but I always knew that some day I would learn to oil paint. A friend introduced me to The Art League and I have been a steady student ever since. Scott Hutchison was my first teacher. His patient and enthusiastic way of teaching painting and drawing to new students was exactly what I needed as someone who was starting from scratch. I was inspired and encouraged by the more experienced students in the class to see what was possible. Over time, Danni Dawson and Kurt Schwartz became my ongoing teachers. I take still life oil classes from Kurt. His spectacular still life arrangements in class each week make it a thrill to come to class and decide which, among the several objects, to focus on. Kurt has a special eye for color and chooses vibrant hues to complement his array of organic materials — flowers, vegetables, fruits, home grown hen’s eggs, together with favorites old objects. From him I have learned how to see the colors and details that make event the most commonplace of objects — an apple, a peach, a pumpkin — possess a beauty and integrity of their own. Kurt’s painting demonstrations always remind the class of the key elements of creating a painting: how to start, composition, positive and negative space, light, shadow, and of course, brilliant color. His works sing with his elegant touch. His most important reminder however, is that there is no substitute for practice, and that the skill comes from doing it over and over and experimenting with the artist’s tools. Over time, to my delight, I have learned to paint from being in his classes. It still surprises me! In addition to Kurt’s great technical skills as a teacher, and his commitment to his students, he is a renaissance type guy with a wide range of other talents, including musical, culinary, and farming.
Danni Dawson is a one-of-a-kind teacher, whose lessons and perspective on painting stay in my head. I have joined Danni Dawson’s portrait class and have also attended a number of her workshops. It is challenging and exciting to be in her classes. Her paintings are breathtakingly beautiful and she is eager to show students how to accomplish the most intricate layering of colors to build complex skin tones, or glowing pear skins, or sheen on a satin fabric. These demonstrations can be moments of pure wonder and discovery as she teaches by showing. It is evident she wants to impart to her students what she knows. She gives homework, and expects it to be done, and always has constructive comments. When I think I am not advanced enough for her classes, she is always encouraging practice, until the brain memory kicks in. Danni brings students into her world, generously sharing he own work life as an artist, giving a big perspective on the larger art world, and always developing and nurturing the community of artists around her.