By Martina Sestakova

Members of Montgomery Art Association come from all walks of life and their artworks and creative processes reflect this wonderful variety. In this blog, we invite you to enjoy a selection of pieces that explore the beauty of black and white. Scroll down to enjoy a lovely array of ideas!

Elissa Leibowitz Poma, “Toledo Bar Trio,” ink on paper, 8x8”

Jean Fin, "Play Time," oil, 16x20”. Tuxedo cat steps out of the shadow for play.

John Mac Arthur, "Life Rolls Along," acrylic, 8"x10"

Alexandra Treadaway-Hoare, "Black and White with a Splash of Color!," watercolor, 22x15" 

Marti Wells, "Eric Contemplating Donkey's Diet," pen and ink, 8x10"

Alan Rich, "Beach Sweet Home," watercolor on paper, 8x6". Current WIP, will be adding watercolor to it.

Martina Sestakova, "Walking Through," acrylic and yupo, 4x6". I never paint in black. This may be the first time in about 3 years. But the inspiration - the words 'walking through' - kind of called me to use black as a symbol of some of life's darkness and the fact that we indeed have the power within to get through everything.

Christopher Hoppe, "Shadows,” charcoal on paper, 12x18". Doing studies on Poppy flowers in preparation of doing a series of varies flowers in oil paintings on canvas.

Judith Levine, "Lost in the Moment," natural India ink on paper, 9x12". I was watching a rehearsal, sketching and noticed this one dancer moving almost as if in a trance. I just needed to catch that moment.

Jeanne Sullivan, "Majesty," mixed media collage, 11x14". Inspired by rocky mountain landscapes, I used hand painted and altered papers to turn the landscape into more abstract features.

Pritha Srinivasan, "Nina," charcoal sketch, 4x6". Sketch of my daughter Nina from some years ago.

Hiral Joshi, "Drizzling Dreams," acrylic on canvas, 18x24"

Paige Friedeman, "Kokeshi," digital illustration.

Tena Turner, "Jennifer," pencil on paper, 23x18"

Pat Koval Whittle, "The Event," charcoal, graphite, paint pen and marker, 22x30". This abstract represents the chaos of life events, the rising white chevron represents hope.

Dora Patin, "Regal, "oil, 8x10”. Standard poodles are very proud and smart dogs. It’s wonderful to watch them as they move with elegance and grace. On the other hand, they are also very silly and playful. I think this portrait symbolizes both characteristics: it’s a traditional composition with an added playfulness by the colorful bow.

Elizabeth Amanda Elgin, "Magpie Zebra Connection," oil, 8x10". Ref photo by Paul Fine, with permission.

Maria-Elena Lazarte, "Memories," acrylics on canvas, 24x18”. To paint this still life, I used different objects like my daughter’s sculpture, the lace tablecloth, jewelry box to create a composition of memories.

Angela White, "Revelation," encaustic, mixed media on wood cradle, 12x16”. Using some of my Indonesian Tjaps, I created patterned layers.

Susan Farrer, "Artie's Boots," graphite on paper, 9x12". This drawing was inspired by a photo from a friend who gave up his Red Wing boots after decades of use -- such personality and so many memories in those boots!

Thank you for stopping by and enjoying the artworks of our members! Be sure to check out our other blogs as we celebrate the unique artworks of local Montgomery County artists.