artist spotlight
The Loudoun Sketch Club Lives On ! by chris doxey
At the Waterford Fair in 1944 , Evelyn Marshall , Vinton Pickens and Betty Tiffany became friends and began to meet on Tuesdays to draw and paint . Their original moniker “ Hot Sketches ,” established the tone and direction for today ’ s Loudoun Sketch Club . Vinton Pickens chaired the county ’ s first planning board from 1941 to 1964 and was well-known for her energy and passion regarding the preservation western Loudoun ’ s natural beauty . She is credited with promoting legislation that kept the county free from the scourge of billboards , and now Virginia is a billboard-free state . Vinton also established the collection of art produced by Loudoun artists which has been displayed in the halls of the Loudoun County
government building in Leesburg .
The original sketch club was active in advising community government about the arts and instrumental in creating a welcoming atmosphere for the arts in Loudoun at a time when art wasn ’ t taught in public schools . Its art shows were big news in those days and were reported in the Washington Post and Washington Star . In fact , art world dignitaries like the curator of the Corcoran Gallery of American Art and the Director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Art attended their shows .
Seventy-eight years later , sketch club members still gather to draw , paint and create , and membership is open to anyone wishing to expand their artistic horizon ! The club ’ s 141 members include experienced artists , novices and hobbyists , and approximately 20 new members are expected to join this year .
Sketch club artists work in a variety of mediums including acrylic , oil , pastels , mixed media , watercolor , pencil / colored pencil , sculpture and photography . The range of styles represented in the club is quite broad , and there is no jurying process for admission . Additionally , the club works to continue the legacy started by Vinton with a passion for preserving and protecting the magnificence of western Loudoun .
Pat Whittle , president of the sketch club , notes that the organization ’ s mission is to advance its members achievements in the visual arts , stimulate art interest in the community through shows and outreach , and document the splendor of Loudoun County . Her most recent paintings range from imaginative , intensely colored landscapes and florals to more realistic interpretations of nature . Pat works
Left : “ The Conversation ” acrylic on Yupo and above : “ And Then There Were None ” oil on canvas ny Pat Whittle .
48 wander I fall • winter 2022