A Twenty Something Life: Art on U

Its been awhile since I painted.

A long time. So in an attempt to get artsy again, I began pursuing always-promising Craiglists to see what local DC had to offer in terms of personal art lessons. As a faithful student to the master renaissance woman Elizabeth Locke and her Austin lessons, I was a little hesitant to branch out and open myself up to the idea of taking art classes for a complete stranger. Luckily, I soon came across a post for lessons right in my own backyard. And I decided to take a chance and check it out.

A short walk down U street and up three flights of stairs later, and I found myself standing within the townhouse studio of Miguel Perez Lem. The artist behind Lem Designs, Miguel is a native of Argentina as well as a designer, photographer, and painter.

When observing his work, you can't help but appreciate how Miguel's fusion of minimalism, chiaroscuro, along with Eastern Asian and antique Italian influences endowed his paintings with a sense of unexpected contemplation and serenity. Stillness and light pervade all his work, yet the hyper-realism of his subjects startles the eye. Its a spontaneous combination that I think matches passion and personality of the artist.

Perhaps the best way to understand Miguel is visit the place where all this magic art happens. I was (and I still am) intrigued every time I walk into his 14th and U apartment. Blue bottles tint window lights, quirky artifacts scatter the baseboards, and musky oil and turpentine scents perfume the open studio space. Its a eclectic and quaint collective of odds and end, much like how I would imagine wondering into a room full of wonderful lots treasures from different ages and places.

However, I think my favorite thing about Miguel's apartment is his adorable dog Cruz. I think sometimes I spend more time fawning over Cruz than actually painting. When I took this pictures, he just woke up from a doggie dream, complete with puppy snoring.