On arts, writing, and home

The latest on ACE instructors

The February 2010 issue of élan magazine featured an article on the ever-prolific Leo Deege. A native of Holland, he developed an innate desire to paint like the Dutch masters early in his life. Since then his work has taken on new dimensions and is attracting recognition: Land's End: Cornwall won first place in the League of Reston Artists "Really BIG and tiny" show now on exhibit until March 27 at the University of Phoenix (11730 Plaza America Drive, Reston), Old Man earned an award for excellence at the US Geological Survey, and Cloudy Day at the Tetons received an honorable mention. Leo teaches Oil/Acrylic: All Levels when he isn't out West painting scenes in the national parks. You'll want to check out Leo's Web site: www.leodeegestudio.net/.

Jean K. Gill, AWS, NWS, will have a painting, Frond Flow No. 2, included in a new book by Chris Unwin, Artistic Touch 4, due to be published in 2010. Her painting, Inferno, as been accepted by an international panel of jurors for exhibition at the Zhuijiajiao International Watercolour Biennial Exhibition in Shanghai, China. The watercolor show is being held in conjunction with the Shanghai expo, expected to draw 70 million visitors. Jean teaches Advanced Watercolor.

Joanne Lozar Glenn was recently accepted into George Washington University's Jenny McKean Moore January-May community workshop on poetry, an honor in that a visiting, established writer selected participants based on submitted work. She also won a residency at the prestigious Vermont Studio Center, in Johnson, Vermont this fall to pursue her writing. She teaches creative nonfiction and publishing courses in her spare time.

Joanne also organizes the popular annual Writers Read at Tysons Borders together with Louise Gibney and memoir-writing instructor Kathy Nutt (shown on right addressing the audience November 13, 2009, at Writers Read: Revelations). Writers Read is sponsored by Fairfax County Public Schools and Borders. About 90 people attended the annual event in which local writers read their work. The next Writers Read will be held Friday, November 14, 2010.

Jahee Oh has a solo show, Living Field, at the Georgetown University Hospital Exhibit Space (Main Bldg. 1st floor, 3800 Reservoir Rd., Washington, DC) March 1-31. She is currently teaching studio arts classes in watercolor and acrylics/oils supervised. Her work, Early Spring, is shown at left.

Cherie Redlinger is one of three artists featured in the Bodzin Art Gallery's latest show, Visions, on display until April 13. The Gallery is located at the Jewish Community Center, Annandale. Cherie creates abstractions from her life experiences, reflecting the artist within. She teaches Oil/Acrylic: All Levels.

Motoko Shimizu and one of her students created floral arrangements for a recent exhibit at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria. The Art League and Sogetsu Ikebana School collaborate to produce this biennail event in which floral artists arrange flowers inspired by a particular work of art (paintings, sculpture, jewelry, and fabrics from Art League studios). The arranger must use containers produced by Art League artists as well. The effect is stunning! Motoko teaches Japanese Floral Design.

Photos of Areerat Wancowicz' incredible watermelon art were aired on Fox 5 after the recent blizzard. Tony Perkins and his co-hosts were awestruck by the evidence of her unusual talent. Treat yourself to a video of the broadcast and be sure to click on "Photos" to see more pictures. Areerat teaches popular fruit and vegetable carving classes.