by Jennifer Crouch
MAA Volunteer

Forty hours. That's how long it took Alden Schofield to complete Passage of Time, the recipient of the Bertha Clum Award, the top award at MAA's Paint the Town art show this September.

Working from an original photo, Schofield switched gears after he started the piece, deciding to incorporate an older engine to show the changes in time, rather than the Marc train that is in the inspiration photo.

"My goal was to give people the view of changes throughout time, to reminisce about the past and how it would have appeared. In addition, painting from a different approach than normally expected," Alden said.

Though Schofield's style is typically realistic, he more often paints landscapes. Attempting a painting that was both "mechanical and ghostly" stretched his creativity, obviously, to successful results.

With many pieces in the Kensington category in this year's Paint the Town art show, competition was high for the top award. A distinction Schofield appreciated, "I am very honored to receive such a prestigious award." 

Schofield's words of wisdom for other artists? "I feel that challenging oneself to do new things is quite rewarding in many ways. It continues your growth as an artist and hopefully the recognition."

The Bertha Clum Award is named for a lifelong Kensington resident passionate about art and gardening. She passed away in 1986. She was an original founder of the Paint the Town art show.

Montgomery Municipal Cable published this video about the local icon earlier this year in honor of Women's History Month: Remembering Kensington Icon Bertha Clum.