The following works were the award winners of our Creative Expressions 2021 exhibition. Our judge was artist Diane Wilson of the Washington Studio School.

See a PDF of all award-winning works

Landscape

• 1st place: At Rest by Terry Pellmar 
• 2nd place: October River by Jenny Wilson
• 3rd place: Morning Light, Winter by Mary Ellen Simon
• Honorable mentions: Fermenting Storm by Rodney Mayer; Almost There by Christina Haslinger 

Still Life

• 1st place: Caring the Angel by Edward Johanson
• 2nd place: First Cup by Erik Ramsey
• 3rd place: Days Promise by Leslie Kraff 
• Honorable mentions: Farmer's Market Finds by Jennifer Crouch and Cumpleaños by Susan Sinclair Galego 

Abstract

• 1st place: Infrastructure 111, Purple Bridge by Rosemary Fallon 
• 2nd place: Light at the End of the Tunnel by Marcia Bhorjee
• 3rd place: Bold and Gold by Mari Craig
• Honorable mentions: Tunes Without Words by Karen Egbert and Urban Destiny by Sandra Edmonson

People Portraits

• 1st place: Weathered by Ellen Yahuda 
• 2nd place: Amazed by Miguel Mitchell 
• 3rd place: Paris Chef by Barbara Mandel 
• Honorable mentions: Peer Pressure by Karen Lantner; Waiting by Joyce Koeneman 

Animal World

• 1st place: Dog Contemplating Reality by Jean Finkleman
• 2nd place: Happy Goldfish by Sarah Clayton Davis
• 3rd place: Wash, Rinse, Repeat by Jamie Downs
• Honorable mentions: I Am Not Squeezing Him Too Tightly by Mary Jordan; Cat in Space by Rahela Majidi

By Diane Wilson
Judge, Creative Expressions 2021

It's a privilege to participate in this show, though I'm deeply conflicted about judging art. Painting is a process, not a product, and it doesn't yield to quantification or to the merit system.

To not see your work in person is a loss. After all, the subject of painting is the physicality of the paint itself.

Painting derives its energy from unresolved conflict. It has the capacity to make us nervous. Your work has made visible a broad range of precarious emotional and spacial ambiguity. The subject of painting is the paint itself. Without a subject that gnaws at us, we easily succumb to decoration.

Ultimately, painting returns us to the vulnerability of the human condition.

Please welcome one of our newest members - Jennifer Crouch

Lives in:   Rockville, MD

Media:  Acrylic and Oils

Subject:  Abstracts, Florals, Landscapes

Website: https://linktr.ee/JenniferCrouchArt

Social Media:  @cloverandpaint(instagram)

Why you joined MAA:   My husband likes to joke that I “paint in secret”.  I joined MAA to express confidence in my art and engage with the local artist community (and prove my husband wrong!).

Something fun about you: I have visited 40 of the 50 states.

Artist Biography:  Jennifer Crouch is an interior designer by day and an artist by night. She has taken numerous painting and art classes over the years and holds an M.F.A. in Interior Design from George Washington University. In her words, “For me, painting is as much a source of therapy as it is a joy.” Jennifer is a native of the DC-area. When not painting or designing, she can be found chasing after her toddler and two rescue dogs.

Please enjoy a few of Jennifer’s works. 

   

MAA members in good standing are voting this month on candidate for our 2021-22 Board of Directors and on changes to our bylaws. We ask that members please vote no later than Friday, May 28 at 5 pm.; please refer to the email that was sent to you for a link to the ballot.

Updating the Bylaws

The past year has made us realize that our Bylaws were out of date. We are using this opportunity to modernize them, and we present for your consideration updates to 21 sections. In this PDF, you can review all of the changes; the existing language is in the left column and the proposed new language is to the right.

Board of Directors Candidates

The following candidates are running for the 2021-22 Board of Directors. Note that no position is contested, and all of our officers are running again. We also have some vacancies. If you are interested in a vacant position, please contact Alan Rich. 

Officers

• President: Alan Rich
• Vice President, Programs & Activities: Jen Barlow
• Vice President, Shows: Cecilia Tobler
• Vice President, Communications & Marketing (pending approval of Article 5, Section 5.1.2): Elissa Poma
• Secretary: Kathy Tynan
• Treasurer: Anastasia Walsh

Committee Chairs

• Program/Activities Committee Chair: Hiral Joshi
• Plein Air Activity Lead: John Macarthur
• Children's Program Activity Lead: Judith Levine
• Marketing and Publicity Chair: Martina Sestakova
• Hospitality Committee Chair: Miguel Mitchell
• Equipment Committee Chair: Joyce Koeneman
• Membership Committee Chair: Kathy Tynan
• Paint the Town Committee Chair: Anastasia Walsh
• Communications Chair: Vacant
• In-person Shows Committee Chair: Vacant
• Online Shows Committee Chair: Vacant
• Finance Committee Chair: Vacant
• Volunteer Committee Chair: Vacant

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 'memories'. Scroll down to enjoy a lovely array of ideas!

Alexandra Treadaway, Covid-19 Mona Lisa (watercolor, 15x11"). A walk in Brookside Gardens with a friend that I had not seen in over a year!

Sue Fierson, Sunrise 5AM, Ft. Sewell (watercolor and ink, 10x8"). The tree featured here blew down in a northeaster in 2019.

Judith Levine, Pointe Shoes (watercolor and conte on paper, 9x12"). I was drawing in a dance class and a friend had dropped a pair by her dance bag. I recall looking at these fragile shoes and thinking of how much beauty a dancer makes using them.

John Mac Arthur, Daddy’s Little Girl (watercolor, 8x10"). I used a photograph that was taken of me sound asleep while making sure my daughter, Molly, didn’t roll out of the bed taking a nap.

Christopher Hoppe, DC Blossom Stroll (oil on canvas, 16x20"). This painting depicts the moments during the Cherry Blossom time when I would meet my wife in DC after work and it would be a rainy day and she would have her baby blue rain boots and rain gear and I would see her in the distance. Beautiful memories.

Rosemary Behizadeh Yue, Family Vacation (acrylic on canvas, 16x20”). This painting hangs on my office wall. It’s my husband bringing in my youngest from playing in the waves. You can see the careful way he’s holding him.

Anastasia Walsh, My Brother's Room (alcohol inks on glass, 16x13" framed). This little painting is based on an old photo from when I was about 6; playing with my brother and two friends. One thing I felt I captured so well was my character looking sideways, longingly, at the older girl on my right, wanting so much to get her approval. Also, my blond brother's portrait shows him as I remember him, deeply concentrating.

Fran Sokol Simon, Ode to the Magic of My Gifts (acrylic resist, 9x12"). This is in memory of my heart donor (I am a transplant recipient) and in honor of my husband, the two most precious gifts, inspired by a night of dancing and music I realized I might not have experienced if it were not for the magic of both of those two generous people.

Jean Fin, A Church in the Grand Tetons (oil on canvas, 16x20”). I took a wonderful cross country bus trip to view the solar eclipse in 2017. This little church was my idea of the perfect place to live.

Marti Wells, Seagull (watercolor, 12x15"). This little laughing gull lives on Lake Zürich. Wonderful outing with my Brother, the last one in Zürich. He is moving to another country.

Heather Pattee Medrano, What it Means to Us (mixed media on canvas, 16x20"). A painting from a family photograph. Memories of a redeployment arrival home from Iraq. The look of relief on his face still chokes me up and was my main focus on this one.

Ann Terbush Schaefer, Embracing Memories (oil on linen, 24x24”). This piece celebrates the beautiful Denzel carousel at Glen Echo Park, where so many memories have been made over the years.

Sarah Renzi Sanders, There's  No Place Like Home (acrylic mixed media, gold leaf, embroidery thread on canvas, 36x48"). My first memory of fear: being separated from my twin sister on the first day of kindergarten.

Leslie Kraff. This is a memory dear to my heart. Baking cake with my children. And the best part: licking the bowl!

Karen Cohen, Sunset in the Mountains (watercolor on yupo, 5x7"). Amazing colors fill the sky and ground when the sun sets in my country home, which happens to be almost heaven. 

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 DMV-based artists. 

Welcome - Susan diRende

Hometown: Bethesda, Md

Media and subjects: I have two different styles of work. I create miniatures in ink on the small polyvinyl panels used for credit and ID card printing, and I create larger works in acrylic on paper and canvas. The miniatures are mostly representational landscape and nature images. The acrylic works tend to be abstract and focused on shape and color.

Why you joined MAA: To connect and find a community to share ideas and philosophies of art and the artist’s life.

Something fun about you: I was a clown in the circus when I was in my 20s.

Website:  susandirende.com

Social media:  

Insta: http://www.instagram.com/susandirende/

FB: http://www.facebook.com/SusandiRendeAuthor

Twitter: @sudi

Artist Biography:

Susan diRende — writer, artist, filmmaker, and clown— founded the Broad Humor Film Festival in 2005 for comic films by women.  She grew up in Montgomery County.  Her family moved here when she was entering junior high, and although she has traveled and lived in many places over the past fifty plus years, Susan keeps coming back to this area.  In 2015, she sold everything and took off for a vagabond year of wandering the world with laptop, paints, and camera. The year has somehow stretched into 5 until the pandemic grounded her. Her series of daily artwork, A Year in Miniature, has had exhibitions in Seattle, Wellington, Brussels, and Chapala. Her comic science fiction/fantasy novella, Unpronounceable, was awarded the 2017 Special Citation for Excellence by the Philip K Dick Awards. She continues to write, paint, and clown around from her home base in Bethesda while waiting for the world to open back up for wandering.

Please enjoy viewing a sample of her wonderful work. 

    

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 concept of renewal. Scroll down to enjoy a lovely array of ideas!

Christopher Hoppe, "Southwest Sunrise" (24x30", oil on canvas)

When I did this oil painting, I just started dating my wife. She renewed my faith in love and relationships. So this painting symbolizes renewal to me.

Joyce Koeneman, "Spring Forward" (11x14", acrylic on canvas)

The beginning of spring, the early flowers peeking up through the remains of winter debris.

Martina Sestakova, "A Fresh Start" (10x8", acrylics on yupo)

"A Fresh Start"... This painting ponders the value of our past and the value of leaving it behind. Focusing on the present moment - and dreaming of a good future - is healing, isn't it? Filled with colors, there are a lot of textures and details in this piece.

Rosemary Behizadeh Yue, “Radiance” (16x20”, acrylic on canvas)

This took 3x to get right but I always feel hopeful when I see it.

Dora Patin, "Vernal Harbinger" (8x10", oil)

I love to see daffodils pop up everywhere as the weather warms up. It’s such a happy sight.

Lesley Anne Hansley, "Dulcimina" (24x36”, acrylic on canvas)

A current painting with a character from my past.

Anastasia Walsh, “Maine Cabin” (9x12”, watercolor)

The sunrise revealed this paradise white cabin on a remote island off the Maine coast. Each day is a renewal and resurgence of hope.

Jenny Wilson, "Spring Flowers" (6x8", pastel)

Liz Zadravec, "Something in the Air" (8x10", colored pencil)

Things will start to bloom, a buzz is in the air, something to sing about.

Sue Fierston, “Spring Color Change (10x8", hand printed gyotaku, Akua ink on paper)

The energy of the spring pinks and greens brought this fish’s expression to life.

Alan Rich, "Rain Barrel" (2014 commissioned installation at Willey Farms in Townsend, DE. Fluid pour skins glued to plastic 55 gallon barrel)

In November 2018, a massive fire burned it to the ground. Miraculously, the first phase rebuild and reopening was late 2019 and there was still building going on in 2020. Sadly, the barrel is lost forever, but a renewed spirit has emerged.

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 DMV-based artists. 

We are excited to announce the lineup of artists for our special evening of art and storytelling on April 12. More than a dozen artists who are participating in MAA’s current online exhibition “Our Stories, Our Journeys” will show their works and share the stories behind their art in an inspiring online event on Monday, April 12 from 5-6 pm ET.

Participating artists are: Blandine Broomfield, Stephanie Gustavson, Hiral Joshi, Mita Lazarte, Miguel Mitchell, Lesley Riley, Martina Sestakova, Fran Simon, Joyce Smith, Kathleen Tevnan, Alexandra Treadaway-Hoare, Marti Wells and Lis Zadravec.

The event is free and open to the public. Advanced registration required.

Sign up today

In our April 2021 newsletter, President Alan Rich talks about his hopes for the spring and coming year, including the possibility that the Paint the Town Labor Day Show in Kensington may proceed in person.

We also preview some upcoming events and feature 13 members' recent art achievements.

Read this month's edition

by Judith Levine

Lee Krasner : Lenore "Lee" Krasner  October 27, 1908 – June 19, 1984

Lee Krasner by Irving Penn

Lee Krasner is often thought of as Jackson Pollock’s wife and staunchest supporter. That is true, but Krasner was an accomplished artist in her own right.  The only one of her siblings born in the US to immigrant Jewish parents, she grew up in Brooklyn, NYC.  (1) “Her career as an artist began when she was a teenager. She specifically sought out enrollment at Washington Irving High School for Girls as they offered an art major. After graduating, she attended the Women's Art School of Cooper Union on a scholarship. There, she completed the course work required for a teaching certificate in art.^[5] Krasner pursued yet more art education at the National Academy of Design in 1928, completing her course load there in 1932.” (2) Unhappily, little work from her early years remains as much was destroyed in a fire. One that does is a self-portrait now belonging to Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her eventual move into abstraction can be seen even in this piece.

Self-Portrait-ca. 1929, Oil on canvas, 30 × 32 1/8 in. (76.2 × 81.6 cm)

After completing her education, of necessity during the Great Depression, she took a job with the WPA in 1934. It entailed enlarging others’ works for use in murals, etc. She hated it but because of the time, she remained there until 1943. She continued making works of her own.  In 1937, she would attend the 8th Street atelier run by renowned German cubist artist Hans Hoffmann; it was a major turning point in her life and work. “...already an established figure in the local art scene, met her future husband [Pollock] at a 1941 exhibition where both had works on view. The pair married in October 1945 and soon moved to a rural East Hampton farmhouse where they could better focus on their craft. While Pollock was busy creating his characteristic panoramic drip paintings, she was focused on producing her kaleidoscopic canvases.” (3)

She spent a good deal of her marriage supporting and encouraging Pollock’s work and her own became subsumed in many ways. The public saw her as Pollock’s wife and seemed to forget that she was just as talented. Only after their separation and his death would she put the same energy in to promoting her own incredible work. Unfortunately, the image of her as Jackson’s wife was so deeply embedded in the public’s mind, she was basically ignored. It didn’t matter to Krasner who just kept on painting and making collage works and mosaics, even using pieces of older work to make them.

        

Desert Moon, 1955                             Icarus, 1964

Mosaic Table-1947

Krasner would have only one major retrospective during her life, Lee Krasner: Living Colour at the Barbican. London’s “Barbican is displaying the first major presentation of her work in Europe in over 50 years, with nearly 100 paintings on view for the first time in the UK. This brilliant retrospective shines a much-needed light on Krasner’s work,...” (4)  Finally someone said it out loud.  “Unfairly associating Krasner with Pollock and finding Krasner wanting is a bad old habit. Let’s have no more of it... Krasner... knew many things. She was a synthesizer. She welded gesture to color, Matisse to Picasso, expression to decoration and figuration to abstraction. She combined aggressively fractured forms with rounded stability. She found astonishing ways to marry centrifugal energy to lashed-together, locked-down forms.” (5)

It is finally Lee Krasner’s time to shine. Her brilliance is now out from under a husband’s long shadow. Krasner’s work influenced many of her contemporaries. Let her now influence yet another generation of artists to be bold, seek out what is most important to them and let it be seen in every work. Gender is not a bar to excellence in art anymore.

References

1. Biography.com, 4/12/19
2. Rose, Barbara. Lee Krasner: A Retrospective. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1983. pg. 13
3. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 5/ 2019
4. Lee Krasner: Living Colour at the Barbican,  Antonia Cunliffe, That’s Not My Age,  5/ 21/ 2019
5. Sebastian Smee, The Washington Post, 5/1/ 2020