Friday, February 27, 2009


Rob Liberace took his classes (I'm in his painting class) to the National Gallery to see some drawings that he selected from their collection. We went up to the Prints and Drawings room to view them up close. What a treat to see them up close with no glass.

In the afternoon some of us got to go with Rob through the conservation rooms. Kristen gave us a tour. This is a picture of an Edouard Manet painting that they just cleaned laying on a large table. Now they are trying to figure out Manet's process and the models, etc. They think that the man on the right with the top hat was inserted later and is the same figure he used in the painting The Absinthe Drinker. Someone told us that the painting on the table was in Manet's studio when he died and his widow wanted to sell it. A potential buyer came and wanted to know if he could buy just the two young boys in the middle for a reduced price!

Thursday, February 5, 2009


The Art League's biggest fund-raiser is the annual Patron's Show. People buy tickets for $175.00 and in a random order select an artwork that has been donated by an art league artist. This year the drawing will be on February 15th. This year I donated "Muddy River Bank" which is a plein air painting that I did from the walking bridge at Columbia Marina.

In January the Art League had a show called "Let There be Light" and I had this piece accepted into the show. The juror was Cynthia Connolly and she is Director and Curator at Arlington County Ellipse Art Center.