By Ellen Sherfey
MAA Member 

MAA is thrilled to collaborate for the fourth time with Washington Metro Oasis to host an in-person exhibit at Oasis Art Gallery January 10 to April 15. Fifty-nine artists individually express texture, color, design, and inspiration through representational and abstract art for an immersive experience in creativity.

Abstract Seas by Rosemary Yue (acrylic)                                            

High-chroma sea views, one broad, one specific, enrich sensitivity to nature’s brilliant, fleeting moments. Primary colors, such as represented here, marvelously describe how our minds grasp the excitement of such experiences.

While the exhibit is open for viewing for three months, please know that the artworks are bound to find delighted owners.

Spawning by Danielle Bensky  (acrylic)

In addition to the art, we have a few special touches:

Raffle: If you visit the Oasis Gallery to see our show before the end of the March, be sure to drop your name into the raffle box for a chance to win a prize. Oasis and MAA will give away one gift certificate for a free Oasis class and one $25 Plaza Art gift card. 

Workshops: Through our Washington Metropolitan Oasis partnership, two members were selected to lead workshops for the nonprofit, which provides learning opportunities for those over 60. Julie Steinberg taught a session last week on the spiral in nature and art. Sandhya Sharma (shown) will do a talk on March 28 about how abstract elements enhance a realistic painting. Look for info about Sandhya's class when the March catalog is available on Oasis's website.

Julie Steinberg taught a workshop about the instinctive use of spirals in art,
such as in her pastel painting Sunbird.

The Oasis Gallery is in Westfield Montgomery Mall, 7125 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, MD 20817, in the mall’s southwest corner near the upper level of Macy’s Home. Hours are Monday-Thursday, 11 am-4 pm.

Participating artists:

Laura Aikman

Anne Albright

David Allen

Carolyn Avery

Ken Bachman

David Bagwell

Judith Benderson

Danielle Bensky

Michael Bograd

Elissa Borzilleri

Blandine Broomfield

Sandy Cepaitis

Jean Cooper

Jennifer Crouch

Kellie D.

Nancy Davis

Amelia De Silva

Janet DeWoskin

Susan diRende

Grace Dobrow

Lynn Faiola

Susan Friend

Renee Hanson

Monica Ingudam

Jonathan Jaeger

Hiral Joshi

Lily Kak

Joyce Koeneman

Galina Kolosovskaya

Cecelia M Laurendeau

Mita Lazarte

Judith Levine

Jennifer Lubell

Barbara Mandel

Rod Mayer

Debbie Miller

Dora Patin

Peijisan Art

Teri Pool

Maruja Quezada

Pauline Rakis

Sharon Reinckens

Raya Salman

Ann Schaefer

Joan Schwartzman

Martina Sestakova

Ellen Sherfey

Robert Shiao

David Sommers

Elizabeth Steel

Julie Steinberg

Tena Turner

Mary Vinograd

Anastasia Walsh

Frederica Weiner

Pat Whittle

MJ Wilhere-Jordan

Helen Wood

Rosemary Yue

To access the gallery from the most convenient parking garage: Go to Parking Garage A from Westlake Dr., (between Democracy Blvd and Westlake Terrace). Take the up-ramp to the top of the hump, bear left, drive to the last row and navigate downhill toward the Macy’s entrance (direction away from Democracy Blvd) and arrive on garage’s Level 3. Enter sliding mall doors; Oasis is immediately on your left. enter Parking Garage A from Westlake Dr., (between Democracy Blvd and Westlake Terrace). Take the up-ramp to the top of the hump, bear left, drive to the last row and navigate downhill toward the Macy’s entrance (direction away from Democracy Blvd) and arrive on garage’s Level 3. Enter sliding mall doors; Oasis is immediately on your left. 

Canal in Early Winter by David Allen (oil on canvas)

Nineteen works by 17 MAA members were juried into our quarterly exhibition at Windridge Vineyards in Darnestown, Maryland. Based on the theme “Seasonal Inspirations,” the exhibit is comprised of 17 winter-esque paintings (oil, acrylic, watercolor and alcohol ink), two mixed media pieces, and one photograph. The exhibit decorates the family-run vineyard’s light-filled tasting room.

The featured artists are: David Allen, Ken Bachman, Jennifer Barlow, Marcia Bhorjee, Regina Boston, Holly Buehler, Maria-Victoria Checa, Elizabeth Elgin, Jean Finkleman, Nadine Kim, Angela Lacy, Dora Patin, Martina Sestakova, Elizabeth Steel, Anastasia Walsh, Rosemary Yue and Vicky Zhou.

Ice Ice Baby by Regina Boston (photography)

Windridge will host a “Meet the Artists” event with live jazz music on February 10 from 5-8 pm. Tables at the event are fully booked now, but the venue is adding bar height tables for standing room-only guests, for those who want to come by.

Thank you to show manager Kathy Tynan for organizing this quarterly exhibit and to members Simin Parvaz and Anastasia Walsh for hanging the show.

Seasonal Inspirations runs until April 3, 2022. Windridge Vineyards is at 15700 Darnestown Road in Darnestown, Maryland. All works in the exhibition are for sale.

​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 Pantone color of the year 2022: very peri. Scroll down to enjoy a lovely array of ideas!

Martina Sestakova, "Crystal Clear"... Clarity. Openness. This painting holds messages and the energy of pausing and quiet and having a strong sense of clarity about ourselves. Enjoy! * Original watercolor/acrylic on yupo, * Size: 4x6" (matted and framed to 6x8"). 

Jennifer Kahn Barlow, "Very Peri Stack" oil on panel, 12x9. "The best quote I ever heard was, 'artwork is not complete without purple' and I truly believe that. Purple, especially Very Peri makes everything a bit more magical, even French Macarons."

Anastasia Walsh, Very Peri is a lovely Blue-Violet, and this recent mosaic, "Tending Her Snap Dragons" uses Very Peri colored beads to show the magnificent Snap Dragons - being tended to by a Dragon herself. Commissioned mosaic, 3rd in Dragon series. Mosaic on an old trowel, 10” wide, 8” high, 4” deep.

Elizabeth Amanda Elgin, This very peri landscape is only 4x6 inches in oils; currently hanging in the Miniature Art Society of Florida Annual Show.

Shayna Heller, Glass Art - Periwinkle Bouquet, 10 x 3.25”, glass powder, painting and tack fusing. This wall hanging brings hand-painting and fused glass powder techniques together to form a special periwinkle flavored bouquet.

Jenny Wilson, “Down East” my old home state of Maine has a unique version periwinkle especially way out east on the coast (40 x 30 acrylic on canvas).

This is a fun animated style time-lapse entitled "snowstorm" by Peijisan Art (digital painting) The piece tries to convey the bleakness and dark uncertainty of trying to get home when the weather turns. (Still shown)

Judith Levine, Bubble Dancer. Watercolour and wax crayon on paper, 9x12. The Pantone blue in the background of this imaginary dancer made it feel more ethereal to me.

Alan Rich, 2017 Porsche 911 carerra. 7.5x9.5 pen and ink, watercolor on watercolor paper.

Leslie Kraff, Hedgerow #2. From Easton, Maryland. Always loved this view from the backyard of a friend's house. The moon just made everything magical.

Mita Lazarte, Peony (oil painting on linen panel 8x8”). I did a series of studies painting different flowers. This peony in particular has the Pantone color of 2022: Very Peri.

Raya Salman, “Celestial Gem”, acrylic, crystals and stones, 12”x16”. Inspired by the gorgeous geodes I saw in Sedona. Depicts enchantment and beauty.

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.

Lives in: Silver Spring, Maryland 

Social media: @melouart (Instagram)

Media and subjects: Watercolor, gouache, oils, acrylic; subjects include scenery - landscape, people, sea animals, flowers. 

Why you joined MAA: To be part of the local art community and be inspired by other artists.

Something fun about you: I was an art student at New York's LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. It was at LaGuardia that I learned to play violin.

Artist Biography: I always loved doing art since I was a kid. I majored in art  at the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City  and also learned to play violin. I've enjoyed working with many types of fine art media such as charcoal, sketching, inking. But I have the most experience with watercolor in the last few years. I do love journaling with that medium.

I enjoy plein air painting since I get to experience my surroundings in a unique way by expressing it through art. My favorite subject to paint is scenery but have recently enjoyed venturing into oil portraiture.

Melissa's paintings: 

  

  

Lives in:  Chevy Chase, DC, however I grew up in Paris, France.

Social Media:  benskydaniellevisualworld.com    

Media and Subjects:  Acrylic on canvass, paintings often combining human figures and nature in a style I call Narrative Symbolism.

Why you joined MAA:  I joined MAA to participate in activities with fellow artists in the area.

Something fun about you:  I cannot work well unless I have my daily walk in Chevy Chase neighborhood where I love to see confetti on my iPhone when I do 10,000 steps.

Artist's Biography:  Danielle Bensky is a mature visual artist living in Washington, DC, but spending time annually in France and Mexico.  She was trained in both painting and sculpture in France and the U.S., moving from oils to stone and bronze and finally to acrylics.  She has produced several public sculpts.  In the Washington, DC area, notably at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, Georgetown University Campus and other locations.  In Paris, she has exhibited her work at the Grand Palais and UNESCO, as well as in private galleries.  She has also enjoyed a one-woman show at the Maison Francaise of the French Embassy in Washington.  She lives with her Australian husband, whereas their only son and grandson are established in Tokyo, Japan.  Danielle and her husband love to travel and have enjoyed countries as diverse as Greece, Portugal, Spain, Japan, Qatar, Oman and Australia.  

Her Paintings and Sculptures

Fragments of the Unknown Mosaic 1 and 2 - Acrylic on Canvas - 36"x24"

the twin paintings entitled Fragments of an Unknown Mosaic are inspired by themes which are both fundamental and common to many cultures.  From time immemorial, shamanism presented the Tree of the World and the Eden story of the Hebrew Bible presents an intimate connection between Eve, the Tree Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life.  These two paintings show a narrative progression from a symbiosis between Woman and Tree, where one gives life to the other, to a face to face between two creatures who are both Woman and Tree, locking arms or branches in a celebration of creative forces.  

Cradle of Life 1- Resin  - H 25" x W 48"

These twinned sculpts are inspired by archetypal themes surrounding the mysteries of life and creation welling up from the Unconscious.  In Cradles of Life 1, whose enigmatic serenity reminds the viewer of iconography from Ancient Egypt, the stillness belies the hidden stirrings of germination within a tutelary goddess symbolizing Natures's promise.  In the companion sculpture, Cradle of Life 2, we are closer to the explosion of energy in the frenetic dances of Dionysus.  However, when viewed in reverse, we return to stillness at the close of the day and the shadows of the Beyond, completing the cycle of life, death and rebirth. 

Cradle of Life 2 - Resin - H 42" x W 50" 

         

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 theme of black/white/gray. Scroll down to enjoy a lovely array of ideas!

Elizabeth Amanda Elgin, Moonbathing (11x14" oil on cradled panel). I love painting horses and think they are the most majestic animals.

Shayna Heller, The Lozenge Menorah (Fused Glass, 4 x 10 x 5”). This one was a lot of fun to make. A harlequin/lozenge theme inspired pattern of white diamonds dance across this fused glass menorah. I’m not jesting, just trying to bring a smile and an extra bit of fun to our Chanukah nights with these festive lights.

Maria-Elena Lazarte, Vintage Silver Teapot (Oil painting on linen panel 8x8”). I love to paint still life and study the form and how the light travels throughout the objects.

Martina Sestakova, Diving Right In (4x6", acrylic ink on yupo). This painting ponders the courage to keep going: to dive into areas in our lives we don't always understand. I am reminded of the underwater world in the textures and shapes in this artwork.

Judith Levine, The Death of Andrea (I Hurt) (Conte Crayon on paper). This is a very sad piece for me. Andrea was a very dear friend and her death was completely unexpected.

Peijisan Art, A Winter's Day (Digital painting). This piece plays with how it feels on a cold winters walk when you look up at the falling snow among the tree limbs. I felt the monochromatic color choices helped to evoke that cold stillness that happens during our coldest season. 

Christopher Hoppe, Landscape (16 x 20" Charcoal on Paper). A moment when I was hiking as a teenager a very long time ago.

Dora Patin, The Lost Wish (12x12” oil on panel). I painted this piece as a part of my First Friends series, which is about young children’ strong attachment to an object that gives them comfort. This painting is about joy turning into sadness, when this stuffed animal won’t become the object of love due to pregnancy loss. 

Vicky Surles, Mrs. Richard Brinsley Sheridan (after Thomas Gainsborough) (Pencil 5 x 7”). Many years ago, I used to work at the National Gallery of Art as a guard - so I could get to know all the art! I did many small sketches of my favorites.

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.

Congratulations to Best in Show winner Stacy Yochum and Paula Eiblum, Robert LeMar, Kathy Tynan, and Patricia Zannie, who all took first-place awards in the Rockville Art League Juried Members Winter Show.

The following 48 MAA members were juried into the show: David Allen, Nancy Arons, Ken Bachman, Marcia Bhorjee, Sushila Bloom, Holly Buehler, Jennifer Crouch, Sarah Clayton Davis, Janet DeWoskin, Paula Eiblum, Susan Sinclair Galego, Lawrence Greenfield, Joan Grosfeld, Stephanie Gustavson, Jennifer Howard, Lee Ann Howdershell, Bill Johnson, Lily Kak, Cecile Kirpatrick, Jim Klumpner, Leslie Kraff, Angela Lacy, Joanne Lamm, Karen Lantner, Cecelia Laurendeau, Maria Elena Lazarte, Robin Lazarus-Berlin, Robert Le Mar, Jennifer Lubell, John MacArthur, Gale Marcus, Isabella Martire, Karen Merkin, Simin Parvaz, Sharon Reinckens, Myra Ryan, LeAnne Sawyers, Patrick Sieg, Penny Smith, Pritha Srinivasan, Carol Starr, Elizabeth Steel, Antonia Tiu, Kathleen Tynan, Helen Wood, Stacy Yochum, Patricia Zannie, and Paula Zeller. 

The show runs through January 14 at Glenview Mansion in Rockville. 

Shown below are a selection of works that members submitted for our Member Happenings newsletter:

Drawn to Life by Jennifer Crouch

No. 63 by James Klumpner

Lives in: Adamstown, Maryland. (However, I grew up in Gaithersburg and Germantown.  Most of my client sessions are located in Montgomery County.)

Social Media: Instagram.com/RMBphotogallery  and Facebook.com/RMBphotogallery

Media and subjects: Photography, including lifestyle family, senior, newborns, and nature fine art.

Why you joined MAA: I joined MAA to learn from the community of artists in the area.

Something fun about you: I’m a Lensbaby Ambassador and love using creative lens to create blur in my images.

Artist's Biography: Regina Boston of RMB Photography is a photographer from Maryland. My family keeps me busy and I love every minute of them: seven kids, ages 10-21, one grandbaby and two adorable dogs. I was born & raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, and recently moved to Adamstown in the country and are enjoying a slower pace of life. I started taking pictures when I was in my early teens of my dolls. It wasn't until I was in my early twenties that I took a Photography 100 class at a local community college, using film and a dark room. That class re-sparked the joy of photography for me and I have been photographing consistently since then.  Other than that class, I am self-taught and have learned a ton through online photography courses. I feel the best way to grow is to keep learning and practicing. I have been traveling around northern Virginia, DC and Maryland capturing photo sessions ever since. 

Photography has opened up a whole new perspective for me. I love to capture subjects as they are, and help people notice small beautiful details in the world around us. I use a natural style of photography, preferring to highlight the moments that make the subject special and unique. I capture moments of playful children and family connections, instead of waiting for a ‘perfect’ expression.  I specialize in newborn, child, senior and family photography. 

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 theme of Fall. Scroll down to enjoy a lovely array of ideas!

Jean Fin, "Purple Dream" (18x20” acrylic on canvas). This was one of my first attempts to paint more than one blossom.

Maria-Elena Lazarte, "Purple African Violets" (oil painting on linen panel 5x7”). I love to paint flowers and gardening. I have different colors of the African violets growing in my home and this one of them.

Marti Wells, "Enchanted Autumn" (4x8" watercolor). I put down some colors I liked. With a wet brush I shaped the trees.

Martina Sestakova, "What Is Best for You" (Acrylic on yupo 10x8"). This painting is a visual meditation on our best interest in terms of our mental and physical health. Being aware of keeps us going and brings us joy. Enjoy this vibrant piece!

Christopher Hoppe (oil on canvas 24x36"). My perspective of looking up at really tall trees laying on the forest ground during fall.

Judith Levine, "Cloud Walker" (9x12" watercolor on paper). I didn't really have a vision other than a figure when I started, just soaked my paper and began adding paints. And then, suddenly, it was there and it felt right.

Amelia De Silva, "Iris" (oil on canvas 8x11"). Irises are the flowers of my childhood. My mom`s garden was filled with the purple ones. Love them for their magnificent colors, tonality and intriguingly shaped petals..

Jennifer Crouch, “Grapes I” (7x9" oil on paper). Purple is my favorite color so I love that this simple, loose study allowed me to use so many variations of the color.

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. 

Our exhibition team has been busy designing a varied and creative lineup of shows for 2022, including several venues that are new to us. Below is the schedule for the year ahead, so that you can start planning.

Tasting Room at Windridge Vineyard - ongoing

We're thrilled to continue our quarterly installments at vineyard in Darnestown, Maryland. Windridge's owner curates the display, selecting from your submissions. The next show is themed "seasonal inspirations." Submissions accepted December 2-12. Show manager: Kathy Tynan. More info

MAA at the Oasis Gallery: January 10-April 15

Registration opens November 17 for this in-person show at the Oasis Gallery inside Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, Maryland. MAA members will also offer workshops for Oasis' lifelong learners. Show manager: Helen Wood. More info

Two Kensington Park Library Shows: February & November

February's show will feature 25 wall works, plus some 3D pieces, all meeting the theme "Ode to Joy." November's show provides an opportunity to showcase small works meeting the theme "For the Love of Books." Show manager: Amelia DeSilva. More info

The Nature of Art, Brookside Gardens: March 15-April 4

MAA will be there as spring blossoms in one of the county's prettiest parks. We'll display nature-themed artwork on the walls of the spacious and light-filled visitor center. This is often one of our most popular shows! Show manager: Mita Lazarte

Benjamin Gaither Center Exhibition: April-June

New! The center offers day and evening classes and special events, resulting in consistent visitors throughout its art-lined halls. We'll show around 40 works for a three-month span. Show managers: Holly Buehler and Therese Capal

MAA at Busboys & Poets: May-July

New! Busboys & Poets is a restaurant and bookstore “where racial and cultural connections are consciously uplifted." That mission is the theme of a three-month show at the Takoma (DC) location. Show managers: Lily Kak and Deb Walmer

All Abstracts at the Daily Dish: May-June

New! The brightly hued walls at this Silver Spring restaurant lend themselves well to abstract paintings. We'll host a small show of all abstracts to start summer. Show manager: Jamie Downs

Creative Expressions: June

We always look forward to this marquee event on our annual calendar, with a judge awarding prizes in multiple categories. Show managers: Sandra Cane and Amelia DeSilva

Paint the Town Labor Day Show: September 3-5

Our biggest event of the year! The annual Paint the Town Labor Day Show and plein air competition is September 3-5 in Kensington, Maryland. Show managers: Anastasia Walsh and Paula Zeller

Our Stories: Loving our Planet: November-December

Our third annual online show provides an opportunity for artists to write a short vignette to tell the story behind their piece of art. The theme of the 2022 show is "loving our planet." Show manager: Martina Sestakova

MAA at the Goldman Art Gallery: TBD

Our 2021 show "GIFTED: 10x10 Works" was such a success that the Goldman Art Gallery team has asked us to return next year. Details to come.

• More Info: Full details about these exhibitions will be added to our website as soon as they become available. Additional shows may be added, too, and all shows and dates are subject to change. We'll always send you info via email and post it on social media; check our 2022 calendar for updates, too.
  
  
• Volunteer with Us: Interested in being a show manager or helping to produce a show? Email us.