Artist's Notebook: Drawing Salon

“Everything and Everybody,” by Marion Eisenmann.

Marion Eisenmann sends two sketches from one of the recent “Late Nite Drawing Salons,” which are held Monday nights at the E3rd Steakhouse & Lounge. We thought the salon would offer some interesting subjects for her notebook and convey the atmosphere of the downtown art scene. The revival of downtown Los Angeles, in which blocks and blocks of gritty, run-down skid row buildings have been turned into living and working spaces, is one of the remarkable stories of the last 25 years. Marion says: The event was called the Gallery Girls Late Nite Drawing Club. Besides the models were not too many females in there, maybe two, three including me. Everyone was into their own business, whether it was painting, drawing, collaging or drinking a glass of wine. Yeah, it was indeed an eclectic evening, besides the visual atmosphere I was carried away by the music, which was a fusion of Bollywood film music and Kamasutra. – Enjoy. I asked about the image in the background and Marion explained that a man “actually came out and drew these charcoal images on the graphite wall behind the models, which provided a constantly changing backdrop.” More artwork on the jump.

“Late Nite Drawing Salon,” by Marion Eisenmann

Note: In case you just tuned in, Marion and I are working on a project inspired by what Charles Owens and Joe Seewerker did in Nuestro Pueblo. Be sure to check back for another page from Marion's notebook. By the way, Daily Mirror readers have asked about buying copies of Marion's artwork. Naturally, this is gratifying because I think Marion's work is terrific, and one of my great pleasures is sharing it with readers. We have decided that the project is a journey about discovering Los Angeles rather than creating things to sell. Marion is busy with other projects and says she isn't set up to mass-produce prints but would entertain inquiries about specific pieces. For further information, contact Marion directly.