I am pleased to announce that my piece entitled Tight Space, has been accepted to the juried 5th Annual Oddball Exhibit at Stella’s Art Gallery in Willoughby, Ohio.
The figurative multimedia drawing was created from a live online life drawing session with Brazilian performance and life model, Juliano Hollivier.
Juror is Mary Urbas.
The exhibit runs October 8 – November 5, 2021 at Stella’s Art Gallery, 38033 Euclid Ave, Willoughby, Ohio 44094. If you plan to attend, check hours at http://www.stellasartgallery.com.
Tight Space, multimedia drawing, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, by Janet Dodrill
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Stella’s Art Gallery accepted two of my pieces into the 4th Annual Photographer’s Only Exhibit. I received a First Place Award for “Towers in Fog” in the Cityscape category and a Third Place Award for “Deer through Web” in the Portraiture (humans/animals) category.
There were five categories and the exhibit has a variety of beautiful photography by northeast Ohio artists and photographers.
Juror is Laura De’Lassandro.
The exhibit runs September 10 – October 2, 2021 at Stella’s Art Gallery, 38033 Euclid Ave, Willoughby, Ohio 44094. If you plan to attend, check hours at www.stellasartgallery.com.
Towers in Fog, photography, 8×10, by Janet Dodrill
Deer through Web, photography, 8×10, by Janet Dodrill
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I have had two artworks accepted into the juried 4th Annual Art Inspired by Northeast Ohio Show at Stella’s Art Gallery in Willoughby, OH. The opening is Friday, August 13, 2021, 7-9pm, and awards announced at 8:30pm. The exhibit runs through Saturday, September 4. See the website for hours https://www.stellasartgallery.com.
My pieces are ‘Lock 29 Bridge’ oil on canvas, and ‘Squire’s Castle’ ink drawing, both done on location in area parks.
I hope you can see the show!
Lock 29 Bridge, oil on canvas, 16×20, 2020, by Janet Dodrill
Squire’s Castle, ink on paper, 11×14, 2019, by Janet Dodrill
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Life drawing has saved my life over the past year. I am thoroughly amazed at the professionalism and creativity of the artists, models and coordinators.
Since 2017, I have explored urban sketching, Plein air, life drawing, and portrait painting groups, and love oil painting on canvas from long poses.
In March 2020, starting online sessions when time (luckily, working from home as a graphic designer and web designer through the pandemic), I’ve gained a sense of community, sketching from shorter poses on a smaller paper size due to limited space!
Materials include watercolor, ink, pencil/graphite, watercolor pencil, marker, charcoal, gouache, and acrylic, prepped watercolor paper trying techniques, mixed media paper in tones and weights, and iPad for 1-5 minute poses and transitional movement.
A favorite is animal life drawing from live sessions with handlers, professional video footage or stills, and even from webcams!
2BOrNot2B Collective has done an amazing job. I also look forward to drawing from their incredible replays.
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Janet Dodrill during the Peninsula Art Academy Plein Air Competition, Fall 2020.The Wandering Sketchers, Zoom sketch session, 2020. Drawing by Janet Dodrill.Tomika, model, at Drawn to the Valley, Valley Art Center, open portrait studio. Oil painting by Janet Dodrill.Urban Sketchers Cleveland sketch event at Heinen’s downtown, 2020. Watercolor study by Janet Dodrill.
About three years ago I joined a Friday night portrait sketch group, The Pretentious Cleveland Portrait Artists. The website is at www.literarycafeartists.com and the weekly model sessions can be found at the blog link. The group (formerly known as The Pretentious Tremont Artists of the Literary Cafe) was founded in 2005 by Tim Herron and Brian Pierce, who wanted to practice portrait drawing and drew bar patrons late every Friday night at the Literary Cafe in Tremont, Ohio. Over that past 15 years the group has grown. It is unique that it pays the model for their time with the finished portraits! Though the original meeting location has changed, the group has still been open to all for both drawing and public viewing while the artists work.
Since March 2020, because of the Covid-19 pandemic and stay at home orders, the group was able to move to an online streaming platform, thanks to the help of seasoned arts interviewer, Roger Miller, of Tues@7 on Facebook and YouTube, managing production for the first 12 weeks. This has enabled even a broader reach of artists to join in the weekly drawing session, beyond the Cleveland area. Artists then send in their portraits to give the model.
Around April of 2020, Tim Herron was interested in drawing portraits of doctors and nurses as a thank you for their service on the frontlines of battling the Coronavirus. Several artists around the world were making the news at the time involved in similar projects. Through his network of models, artists, and friends and their connections, he started receiving photographs and selfies of healthcare workers from different locations and hospital systems, including MetroHealth Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic. He opened up the project for any artists in his Friday group that wanted to participate.
So far (as of March 23, 2021), 18 artists have participated in this “Doctors and Nurses in Covid 19 Times” project, creating 155 original portraits, which are showcased on the group’s website at www.literarycafeartists.com/doctors-and-nurses-in-covid-19-times.
I personally have produced 28 portraits for the project to-date, and will continue to do more. It’s great practice and I enjoy being part of a group of artists working together. I have an individual webpage on the group’s site at www.literarycafeartists.com/janet-dodrill, where they can be viewed under my general portrait gallery. We are following along with the idea of giving the portraits to the models, in this case the doctors and nurses.
MetroHealth Hospital in Cleveland currently has an exhibit in their lobby, since last fall, of their portraits, which is visible to the public when they visit for their Covid vaccines. Linda Jackson at MetroHealth organized photos and exhibit. They also produced a video on the project, Local Artists Honor Frontline Health Care Workers.
As a result of posting some of my doctors and nurses portraits on instagram (@janetdodrill), I have been asked to tag these works for a curated North American exhibit using hashtag #portraitsforcovidheroes for inclusion in the project by Jules Smith @jules_smith_artist and @portratisforcovidheroes.
Thank you, to all healthcare workers helping to battle this virus in this pandemic and save lives. You are true heroes.
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Snippets of portraits of doctors and nurses on the frontlines by Janet Dodrill.
Snippets of portraits of doctors and nurses on the frontlines by Janet Dodrill.
Portraits of Covid frontline healthcare workers exhibit at MetroHealth Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio (photo by Roger Miller).
Portraits of Covid frontline healthcare workers exhibit at MetroHealth Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio (photo by Roger Miller).
Who doesn’t have an appreciation for an artist’s handmade Christmas card, or one displaying their artwork?
My grandfather, Warren R. Schmitz, who ran the Schmitz-Horning Company (1905-1964) from 1938-1964 received Christmas cards from artists who were either associated with the company or family friends, including Harvey Stief, Walter Sinz, and Charles Reiffel. Here are a few examples of the wonderful artwork on cards he received from them in the 1930s and 1940s.
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Another amazing life drawing session, and this time with a ‘Parrots’ theme with Macaws, Cockatoos and Parakeets with the special online event produced by The Henley on Thames School of Art and Oakley and Crew. Birds were shown flying, landing, sitting on perches, walking on the ground, and an unexpected trick at the session end, and was held on November 27, 2020.
Below are highlights of my drawings from the session.
There are more online animal life drawing sessions scheduled for December 2020, featuring Wild Mountain Gorillas, Draft Horses, and Reindeer at www.thehenleyschoolofart.com/online-classes. Artists are welcome to join!
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Incredible live drawing session with ‘Birds of Prey’ theme. Beautiful Owls (Dark Breasted Barn Owl, Little Owl, and Long-Eared Owl), Harris Hawk and Peregrine Falcon with event produced by The Henley on Thames School of Art and Feathers and Fur Falconry Centre (handler Sadie) via Zoom. Great lighting, camera work, and props, held on October 30, 2020.
Below are highlights of my drawings from the session.
There are more online animal life drawing sessions scheduled for November and December 2020, featuring Longhorn Cattle, Fjord Horse, Raccoons, Kinkajou, and Coati, Parrots, and Wild Mountain Gorillas at https://www.thehenleyschoolofart.com/online-classes. Artists are welcome to join!
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Hugo Max Schmitz, photograph, early 1900s (recently-discovered).
On a recent trip out of town to visit my cousins, some items were discovered in my uncle’s possession. Unseen artwork by Hugo Max Schmitz, my great-grandfather, all of which I had not seen before. In a couple of the works, there are similarities to his previously-known work. He was an artist and a co-founder of Cleveland wall covering firm, Schmitz-Horning Company (1905-1964). The stunning painting comparisons are below.
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Watercolor portrait of young girl by artist Hugo Max Schmitz.
Possible study for watercolor portrait of young girl by artist Hugo Max Schmitz, oil or gouache, early 1900s (recently discovered).
Self-portrait by artist Hugo Max Schmitz, oil, 1898.
Self-portrait study by artist Hugo Max Schmitz, oil, early 1900s (recently discovered).
Lately, I have been using primary colors (red, yellow, and blue from the color wheel) in my portraits and life model studies, and am exploring this direction in my artwork.
Below are a few examples of my artwork utilizing primary colors.
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