ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Name: Mary Ellen (M’EL) Abrecht
Education: BA 1967 Mount Holyoke College; JD 1974 Georgetown Law Center.
Recent Art Classes and Workshops: Drawing with Gina Clapp at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop 2003-2008. Colored Pencil Workshops with Janet Collins in February 2004, with Kristy Kutch in June 2005, with Maggie Renner Hellmann in French Alps in June 2006, and with Mark Menendez in October 2007. Pastel Drawing Workshop with Stanley Maltzman in Hudson Valley, NY in July 2009. Botanic drawing with Carol Beach at U.S. Botanic Garden in July 2012, April and July 2013.
Shows and Awards:
Group Exhibitions: Peru Show at Park Café, Feb 2010; the plein air show at Fusion Grill in October and November 2010; at Hill Center in Spring 2012. Numerous juried CHAL shows 2005 to present in DC at CHAW and Hill Center and in Leesburg, VA at Lost Creek Winery. Selected for juried Pop Art show in Alexandria, VA, November 2011; and juried Regional Show at Hill Center for Summer 2013.
Awards (CHAL shows unless otherwise stated):
.October 2006 “Measure for Measure” judged by Berthold Schumutzhart, Merit Award for colored pencil drawing “2840 Meters High in the French Alps.”
.January 2007 “Quoth the Bard” judged by Valerie Watson, Merit Award for graphite and charcoal pencil drawing “Good wine is a good familiar creature, if it is well used.” Sold at show.
.April 2007 “A Comedy of Errors” judged by J.W. Mahoney, Honorable Mention for colored pencil drawing “I will go lose myself and wander up and down to view the city.” Sold at 2008 Arts Ball.
.May 2007 “All’s Well that Ends Well” judged by Bruce McKaig, Honorable Mention for graphite and charcoal pencil drawing “Monkey Business.” Sold at 2009 Arts Ball.
.March 2008 Untitled show judged by Kathryn A. Wat, Second Place Award for colored pencil drawing “Prickly Forest.” Sold at show.
.March 2009 “Spring Fling” judged by Walt Bartman, Honorable Mention for colored pencil & pastel drawing “Springing Forth in the Midst.”
.April 2009 Untitled show judged by Michael Skalka, Honorable Mention for colored pencil drawing “Mountain View.”
.December 2009 Adult Student Art Show judged by Valerie Watson, Merit Award for “Beets.”
.June 2010 “Reflections” judged by Clifford Chieffo, Honorable Mention for colored pencil drawing “Somber Reflections” at Fisher Gallery, Arlington, VA.
.November 2011 “Heavenly Peace” judged by Betsey Mulloy, Second Place for colored pencil & pastel drawing “At Peace in the Shadow” for Pop Art Group at Peace Lutheran Church, Alexandria, VA.
.Summer, 2012 “New Horizons” judged by Rosalyn Shanzer at Children’s Hospital, Honorable Mention for colored pencil drawing “White House Dinner.”
.April, 2013 “All Media Show” judged by Chawky Frenn, Second Place Award for graphite pencil & charcoal drawing “Free Range.”

ARTIST STATEMENT
After I retired in 2003 (from being a lawyer and judge) so that I could work part time and travel, I began drawing for the first time since high school. Sharpening my skills through classes and workshops, I have found much satisfaction and refreshment in drawing with graphite, ink, colored pencils and pastels. I travel (and hike) a lot and take photographs to use as references back in my studio.
I have learned to pause and see the world around me with new eyes. With no pets at home, I have enjoyed creating pet portraits for others and adding animals to landscapes. I see colors and shapes at the market and in my kitchen. Artichokes, cantaloupe, onions, garlic, black cherries, peppers, apples, peaches and avocadoes require 6 or more layers of colored pencil washes in several colors. I see landscapes and cityscapes of many colors, different in shadow and in sunlight. I have examined and drawn the rugged snow capped alps, golden fields of sunflowers and hay bales with pale purple shades of distant mountains in France, the patch work of orange tiled rooftops in Italy and Peru, the golden glows of Venice and brilliant reflections in the canals, the subtle warmth of an Arizona desert in winter, the lacy pattern of snow covered branches outside my window in DC and of wind-twisted trees on hilltops. I have captured sunsets around the world. I wish to share with others my good luck in finding new pleasures that cause no harm.