Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

No one likes the commute to D.C. 

Waiting in line to enter Route 66(6) is enough to leech every drop of creativity from the soul. 

For Amy Mann, a portrait artist who has lived in Centreville for 22 years, it's a trip worth enduring. 

Mann is a copyist at the National Gallery of Art, which means that she is able to set up her easel once a week near the painting of her choice. 

Copying is an amazing opportunity to learn from other artists, and is a frequent academic/professional training exercise undertaken by both professional and amateur artists. 

There are a number of considerations Mann takes into account when deciding on a painting to copy: Is there enough room around the painting to work?  How is the lighting?  Is it in a busy place? 

After she applies for a permit and is granted permission she gets to painting.

If you are curious to see the process, you can visit her blog at http://amyilenemann.blogspot.com.

Mann also enjoys painting portraits, still life and landscapes, as you can see from her website (amymann.com). 

She says she welcomes the challenge of capturing a portrait in one sitting with limited colors and the challenge of imitating a rapidly changing outdoor scene. 

"Being on site and painting a scene is a race with time," Mann said.

"You have to remember what it was that attracted you to that scene, because whatever it was will be gone with each passing minute," Mann said.

"Do I keep the original intent, or do I change my picture as I go? So it's like a sport, where you have to react as things develop around you." 

Mann said that when "things are going well, I feel blissfully happy.  That's why I do it." 

She doesn't need to make the trek to D.C. or anywhere else for her inspiration. 

She finds plenty in Centreville.

She said, "I look at everything as I drive and walk around the area. I'm attracted to interesting elements, power lines, fences, trees, buildings, especially when the light hits them a certain way."

Although Mann describes herself as an introvert she has enjoyed bringing art to our community. 

She founded the Centreville Art Guild and offers private lessons in her home studio. 

"I wanted to find serious like-minded artists and share the cost of a model," she said.

"The Guild ended up being more about bringing art to the community, giving people a place to learn and explore and find the freedom and permission to do art." 

There was not been enough interest to sustain the Guild but Mann encouraged local artists to serve the community by "demonstrating that making art is a valid and valuable contribution to the world. They can be available to give lessons, and their abilities and creations can be for sale, to give people a great choice for gifts and family heirlooms."

About the author:

Fairfax County native, artist and at-home mom Rebecca Wood loves to explore our region. She blogs at www.artandtheeveryday.net.