In 2021, Alden Schofield of Derwood, Maryland, took first place in the Kensington category at the Paint the Town Labor Day Show, winning the show’s only named prize, the Bertha Clum Award. Traditionally, this award has been highlighted and celebrated as MAA’s unofficial “best in show” painting. 

Alden said over the past year the honor has made him more recognized when attending art events throughout the region, but more so has served to reemphasize to him what’s important in composing a painting. 

“It did re-enforce my thinking about my abilities to construct, design and paint an award-winning painting,” he told us in a recent chat.

Health challenges and the ups and downs of the Covid-19 pandemic have prevented Alden from painting as much as he would have liked to this past year, but he has recently been working on three landscape paintings of different angles of Great Falls and a piece depicting the canal and barge as seen from the old tavern/visitors center on the Maryland side.

Alden will have three pieces in this year’s Paint the Town show, plus bin works for sale.

What's his advice for new members who are entering a show as big as Paint the Town for the first time? 

"This one is easy: Just place your art in this show," he says. "It is the best show around. It provides an outstanding opportunity to meet so many great, established artists, along with other new artists, and have ability to talk with them. You also can see the various types of art displayed and compare your art to those around you. It’s a great way to learn more about your passion for art."

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. 

-Elissa Poma

Lives in: Montgomery Village, Maryland

Website: destinystamper.com

Social Media: Instagram @hippieish.bish

Media and subjects: Acrylic painting, pop surreal portraits and scenes

Why you joined MAA: To connect with the fellow artist

Something fun about you: I have an identical twin, and the I’m oldest of three sets of twins

Artist biography:  Creating has always been a source of comfort and healing. I am a self taught artist from Detroit Michigan. I began drawing as a kid, the love and escape I found led me to painting as an adult. The portraits I paint are bold, forceful and strong, even when I can’t be. Being able to express these attributes I wish to see in myself, has given me confidence to work towards being those things. My work has been displayed at various juried festivals and artist markets, and a cafe in Arkansas. I’m at the beginning of my career, which is exciting and scary, but I am ready for the trials of the journey. I’m excited to learn, grow, and make connections with wonderful people along the way.

Please enjoy several of my works below: 

It must be a lot of pressure to live up to the superlative of one of DC’s “most interesting people.” But Lenny Campello, our judge for this year’s Paint the Town Labor Day Show, never fails to provide.

We sat down to chat with Lenny, posing five random art questions to him:

MAA: Who was your most memorable art instructor or mentor, and why?

Lenny Campello: Jacob Lawrence at the University of Washington School of Art. Lawrence was one of the greatest American artists of the 20th century and a great teacher. But what I learned from him was to be opinionated, and the power of an opinion.

MAA: Tell us about the first time you won an award at an art show.

LC: I was still in art school, and I entered a drawing from what I then called "Mujertrees Series" and later renamed "Daphne Series." It won the 1979 First Prize (Drawing) awarded by the Renton Art Society of Renton, Washington. I was deliriously happy for an entire year after that!

MAA: What tips would you provide a new or newish artist on how to build your confidence?

LC: Artists must have a thick skin. The trite saying "art is in the eyes of the beholder" is immensely accurate. That means that if a juror or collector or your aunt Naomi doesn't like your artwork, it is their opinion and or taste and nothing else.

As an artist produces and creates new work, and that art is disseminated (sold, traded, given away, etc.) it remains behind as an artistic footprint of the artist—the more artwork an artist produces over a lifetime, the larger the "leave behind" footprint is. That means that decades and decades, or even centuries after the artist is gone, his/her work remains behind as creative evidence of a person who once created artwork.

Also, do not be a hermit - go to openings, see lots of artwork, soak in artsyness, visit an art fair -- see what others are doing and let your inner critic tell you how your work stacks up.

MAA: What do you look for compositionally when you judge art?

LC: I look for fear of empty space (what in art is called "horror vacui"). If used, does it work (for me)? Or the opposite: Does negative space work well (for me)?

Honestly, composition can really rock a work of art, but it is a distant second to mastery over the media. As watercolorists know, the difference between a good watercolor painter and a great watercolor painter is that a great watercolor painter knows how to use his/her mistakes.

MAA: And the age-old question: When you personally are making art, what tells you a piece is finished?

LC: I've never struggled with that issue, which seems to affect painters more than any other artists. When I work on a piece, I'm always sort of seeing it "finished" as I finish it, if that makes sense.

-Elissa Poma

We are delighted to announce that DC contemporary artist Lenny Campello will serve as judge of this year’s 2022 Paint the Town Labor Day Show. Known internationally for narrative-driven paintings and drawings and technology-infused displays, Campello has worked as an artist, gallerist, curator, art critic, instructor, author, and arts blogger. He was named one of DC’s “most interesting people” by the Washington CityPaper.

Born in Cuba, he grew up in the United States and studied art at the University of Washington School of Art in Seattle. Prolific from an early age, Campello has won national and international awards, exhibited internationally in galleries and museums, and has works in private collections in Spain, Portugal, and the United States. He also co-owned galleries in the DC area. He is a prominent local art critic, with reviews published in The Washington Post, local newspapers and arts magazines, and has made numerous appearances on television and radio. Likewise, he has curated or juried art shows in the DC area.

The Paint the Town Labor Day Show is one of the region’s largest and longest-running art shows composed of all local artists. The show will be open to the public Saturday-Monday, September 3-5. Campello will be on site on Friday, September 2 for closed-door judging and Saturday, September 3 to judge the plein air competition and present awards.

-Paula Zeller

Lives in: Rockville, MD                                    

Website: www.mariericcio.com             

Social Media:

Maria is on Facebook and Instagram.

Media and subjects: My media is mainly oil paint although I sometimes paint with gouache if time is restricted or I am not able to transport my oils. My main subject is still life but I also paint the landscape as well as the figure.

Why you joined MAA: I joined MAA for the opportunity to connect with a community of local artists.

Something fun about you: During the summers of high school and college I worked as a puppeteer, putting on shows at the local beaches on Long Island.

Artist Biography: Art has always been a part of my life whether through creating or viewing it. I started my art journey as an abstract painter, but after earning an MFA from University of Pennsylvania, I fell in love with observational painting. 

Over the years, I have gravitated towards still life painting in the studio. Still life painting gives me the joy of orchestrating objects to create an emphasis on color, light and composition and the chance to play with abstract ideas. Most of my still life paintings contain personal stories that are revealed to me during the painting process. I also enjoy plein air painting on a regular basis and paint or draw the figure as often as I can.

For many years I worked as a graphic design and this has also influenced my work. I grew up outside of New York City and moved to Rockville more than 20 years ago. I have exhibited my work in the Washington, DC area and beyond. I am an artist member of TAG/The Artists Gallery in Frederick where I served for six years on the board including as president for two years. I have also curated still life exhibits promoting this often-overlooked genre at both The Washington Studio School and VisArts in Rockville. 

Please enjoy several of Marie's wonderful still life paintings. 

Amongst the Turmoil  12x12" oil

Young Love 16x16" Oil 

Perfect Diamond 20x20” oil

We have a number of paintouts scheduled for this summer. Most events are free to MAA members with advanced registration requested.

JUNE

Windridge Vineyards, Darnestown

Spend the early morning and early afternoon painting en plein air with fellow MAA members at the beautiful Windridge Vineyards. The vines have started their journey toward the sky, with the hope of luscious purple grapes later in summer. The vineyard sits atop rolling hills surrounded by forested areas that are bursting with new growth. No doubt you will find lots of artistic inspiration.

Register for Windridge

Great Falls Park, Potomac

We'll meet on the Maryland side of the falls and offer two sessions, on Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11, so that those who work during the week have an opportunity to join, too. Subjects include the falls themselves, the historic Great Falls Tavern, the C&O Canal, the canal boat, and more.

Register for Great Falls

JULY

Lilypons Water Gardens, Adamstown

We have been invited on two days in July to make the most of the flowering season of water lilies and lotuses! The sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, July 5 and Tuesday, July 19. The gorgeous conservation area is in Frederick County, just 40 minutes from Rockville. Join us on either or both days.

Register for Lilypons

McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area, Poolesville

We are monitoring the growth of the sunflower fields at this protected area in Poolesville and will set a Saturday date for painting in the coming weeks. While the painting conditions can be tough--hot weather, tall grasses and lots of bees and mosquitos--the scenery is unparalleled! 

SEPTEMBER

Plein Air Competition at the Paint the Town Labor Day Show

MAA members and others from the local community are invited to participate in our annual painting competition, which will be held rain or shine on Saturday, September 3. After getting your paper or canvas stamped, you'll have until 3 pm to complete a piece of artwork within the boundaries of Kensington, Maryland (the zip code 20895).

Registration opens in July.

Lives in: Falls Church, Virginia

Website: klinallenart.com

Social media: @klinallenart on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook. 

Media and subjects: Representational/figurative oil painting

Why you joined MAA: To be more involved in the local art scene. 

Something fun about you: I like to make costumes and use them for the subjects of my paintings.

Artist Biography: Kara Allen is a representational artist based in Northern Virginia. They have been making art since they could hold a pencil in their hands. They began using oils at age 14 when they attended the high school scholarship class at the Yellow Barn.

After high school they attended the Montgomery College arts program while working as a seamstress and costume designer. Currently they are a candidate in the Master Artist Program at The Compass Atelier. 

Please enjoy several of Kara's paintings:                                                                  

                

            

Congratulations to our 2022-23 Board of Directors! With 103 members voting, we are pleased to confirm that Jennifer Kahn Barlow will be our next president. She and the other newly elected Board members will take office on June 1, 2022.

Officers

• President: Jennifer Kahn Barlow (shown at right
• 1st Vice President, Programs: Frank Mancino
• 2nd Vice President, Shows: Amelia De Silva
• 3rd Vice President, Communications & Marketing: Elissa Poma
• Secretary: Kathy Tynan
• Treasurer: Anastasia Walsh
• Past President: Alan Rich

Committee Chairs

• Activities: open
• Children’s Activities: Judith Levine
• Communications: Teresa Sites
• Community Outreach: Marta Lopez Teigeiro
• Equipment: Joyce Koeneman
• Hospitality: Simin Parvaz
• In-Person Shows: open
• Marketing: Martina Sestakova
• Membership: Kathy Tynan
• Online Shows: open
• Paint the Town Labor Day Show: Anastasia Walsh
• Plein Air Events: Sandhya Sharma
• Programs: Hiral Joshi

By Judith Levine

On a sunny Saturday, MAA’s plein air painters met up at the National Capital Trolley Museum. The museum, which was established in 1961, was originally in Baltimore but by 1966 had moved to its current home in Colesville, MD. It aims to teach and allow the public to experience how trolley cars and street cars fit into the story of public transportation.

As plein air painters, our aim was to interpret those cars as works of art. And that is precisely what happened. Thirty of us descended on the museum starting at 9:30 am. Nobody had any preconceived ideas about what they would paint.

We spread out from just inside Street Car Hall, which was open on one end for cars to leave for the tracks, then we spread all the way down the tracks. Some chose to paint the cars themselves and just as many set the cars into scenes that would have been normal when they actually ran the streets, providing one of the most common modes of public transportation.

It was an exciting day. Outside of our Paint the Town Labor Day Show, we hadn't previously hosted a plein air event that both lasted all say and was judged. We additionally hadn't ever held an auction.

The judge awarded six prizes to the following works:

• 1st place: Street Car Hall by Rajendra KC
• 2nd place: Cart Hall by Vicky Zhou
• 3rd place: Trolley Bumper by LeAnn Sawyers
• Honorable mentions: Grand Cypress Green by Christopher Hoppe, Aged to Perfection by Jean Cooper, and Good Memories of the Past by Yik Chek Phan.

Street Car Hall by Rajendra KC (watercolor on paper)

The prize-winning pieces were offered to guests during an auction, and most of the other works painted during the day were available for sale. In total, 11 works sold.

We were also happy to welcome a Pennsylvania video blogger and transport aficionado, Caleb, who created this video of our day, including interviews with a number of participants.

Lives in: Middletown Maryland

Media and subjects: Photography, nature photography, landscape and botanicals

Website: lorilankford.com

Social Media: instagram.com/photography_lori/

Why you joined MAA: I moved to Maryland last fall and wanted to connect with a community of local artist. 

Something fun about you: I love to garden, and if not out doing photography, you can find me in my back garden. 

Artist Biography: Lori Lankford is an established nature photographer, digital artist and instructor. She comes from a long line of gardeners, artist and teachers.  

With photography she gets to be all three. Lori's artistic medium is photography - capturing the expected in unexpected ways, embracing the shadows and chasing the light. 

As a gardener, she takes her love of nature and transform it into art. Lori likes to find the beauty in every season, focusing on the details, colors and texture. Her tools are a mix of creative techniques with the camera as well as editing to enhance her work. 

Teaching is in her DNA- sharing her passions and helping other find their creative voice. She works one on one with students mentoring them in creative photography as well as teaching online and live classes throughout the year. 

Please enjoy several of Lori's photographs below: