By Joey P. Manlapaz
Judge, 2021 Paint the Town Labor Day Show

It is never easy to categorize excellence among more than 400 pieces of top-notch artwork, and yet I was faced with such a challenge in judging this show. I was very impressed with the craftsmanship in the execution of each work and have deep admiration for each artist’s sincerity in their creation. I am certain that you will agree with me that the awardees very much deserve all the merit and applause for works well done.

Kensington Category

1st place (Bertha Clum Award): Passage of Time by Alden Schofield
2nd place: Manse at a Glance by Carol Leo
3rd place: The Under Appreciated Beauty of Howard Avenue by David Sommers
Honorable mentions: Across from the Bookshop by Susan Friend; Aqua Flora by Nancy Randa; Train Station Crossing by Antonia Tiu

Landscape Category

1st place: Darth Vader by Ann Gordon
2nd place: Shed by Sharon Reinckens
3rd place: Basil Glow by Jennifer Barlow
Honorable mentions: Summer Skies by Rosemary Yue; Falling Leaves by Ruja Shemer; Middletown Ice Cream by Susan Sinclair Galego; Rising Above by Christina Haslinger; Under Africa Sky by Helen Wood; Calm After the Storm by Francisca Oviedo

Still Life Category

1st place: At the Diner by Kathleen Tevnan
2nd place: Clean Up by Ellen Yahuda
3rd place: Last Flowers of Spring by Ann Pielert
Honorable mentions: Lemons by Mita Lazarte, Coming and Going by Angela Lacy; Glad Tidings by Pat Coates

Abstract / 3D Category

1st place: Pareidolia #10 by Susan diRende
2nd place: Deep Blue Companion by Jenny Wilson
3rd place: It Takes a Village by Ann Albright
Honorable mentions: At Last by Laura Aikman; Chasm by Anastasia Walsh; Tempest by Cathy Hirsh

Portrait Category

1st place: Gone Man by Jack Hammond
2nd place: Giddy Up by Amelia de Silva
3rd place: The Courage in His Eyes by Pritha Srinivasan
Honorable mentions: Royalty is a Birthright by Deb Walmer; The Italian by Ann Gordon; A Good Place by Jean Finkleman

Plein Air Competition

1st place: Circle Park by Rajendra KC
2nd place: Bethesda Chimney by Rob Pearlman
3rd place: Band Play in the Park by Vicky Zhou
Honorable mentions: Antique Row by Beverly Hollrah; Johnsons by Marci Green; Chat by Sushila M. Bloom

Artist Invitational

1st place: Snow Day by Alison Leigh Menke
2nd place: Amish Farm 3 by Jean Hirons
3rd place: Bottles by Michael Shibley
Honorable mention: Fall Colors in Rock Creek Park by Gonzalo Ruiz Navarro

Blandine Broomfield, Hiral Joshi, Anastasiya Kavalenka, David Sommers and Ellen Yahuda teamed up to artistically interpret the quote “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief … You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”

One major communality emerged among each person’s thoughts: grief with hope. Each artist went on to create an individual piece of art emulating the theme and then the group assembled and collaged the paintings to create a cohesive piece of artwork.

Grief with Hope will be displayed at the Goldman Art Gallery at the Bender JCC in Rockville through October 10. The reception is September 23 from 5:30-7 pm.

Lives in: Poolesville  

Social Media: Instagram: @shasha_w_t_f

Media and subjects: I am continuously seeking opportunities to grow by practicing figure and life drawings.  In my studio, I mostly work in oil paint and I do a lot of animal and human portraits as well as landscapes. I also recently collaborated with a storyteller who wrote a collection of short autobiographical stories; I produced accompanying digital Illustrations.

 Why you joined MAA: I recently moved back to Maryland after living in Davis, California, for 8 years. While in Davis, I was involved in artist groups and was on the board of directors for an artist collective. Working with and around other artists gave me opportunities to grow and learn. I joined MAA to connect with other artists here in the DC area. 

Something fun about you: While moving across country I traveled with 6 chickens, 2 cats and a dog which proved to be pretty self-sustaining since the chickens continued to lay eggs every day of the trip!

Artist biography: Shannon is a self-taught painter and illustrator currently living in Poolesville. She spent the last 8 years painting on the west coast in Davis, CA, where she was on the Board of Directors of Third Space Arts Collective. Shannon enjoys painting oil landscapes and portraits, as well as digital illustration.  During the past year she illustrated a collection of short stories by a California based author. Since moving to Poolesville this summer Shannon has enjoyed painting some of the local farmscapes and hopes to participate in some local workshops and meet local artists. When she isn’t doing art, Shannon is currently pursuing a second bachelor’s degree in Secondary Mathematics Education.

Please enjoy viewing a sample of Shannon’s 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 theme of connection. Scroll down to enjoy a lovely array of ideas!

Martina Sestakova, "Meet over Tea" (acrylics on yupo, 26x20"). The idea for this painting came to me while at lunch with a friend. I like the space a meal or a cup of tea creates: opportunity to connect, to share, to strengthen a friendship. This painting honors the intimacy of these moments and their immense potential to bring joy into our lives.

Dora Patin, "Symbiosis II." (oil on canvas, 24x20”). The symbiotic relationship between plants and pollinators is so amazing! Where would we BEE without pollinators?! Everything is connected!

Chitra Sharma, "Shine on" (acrylic on wood, 24x24"). This is takes me back to the days of childhood where whenever in an art class we had to draw something, sun was the first thing that I would draw. The bright colors and the mythological characters vibes are all the reminder of storytelling family time while growing up.

Judith Levine, "Denys Louderback" (oil on canvas, 22x30")

Fran Art, “Fundo Los Mayos” (encaustic, 6x6"). This painting connects me to my home country Chile. The name is the place where my parent live. The rich textures connect me to my afternoon walks on my summer vacations in January 2020.

Maria-Elena Lazarte, "Sunflowers" (plein air painting, oil on linen panel, 14x11"). Painting outdoors for me is connecting with nature and capturing its 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. 

MAA is pleased to present four live art demonstrations during our Paint the Town Labor Day Show. All demos will take place at the Kensington Historic Armory and are free and open to the public. We plan to livestream them on the MAA page on Facebook (facebook.com/montgomeryartassociation).

Schedule:

Saturday, September 4 at 2:30pm
Jennifer Kahn Barlow 
French macaron lovers wanted! Jen, an MAA member, will be demonstrating her process for painting vibrant French Macarons using oil paints. From the colorful base layer to the crumbly details, she will show the progression from plain shapes to tempting confectionary on canvas.

Sunday, September 5 at 1 pm
Ally Morgan 
MAA member Ally will be demonstrating her mixed media approach to pet portraits. Working with a combination of colored pencils, markers and pens, she will take her audience through her techniques and tricks for creating a realistic dog portrait. More information will be available for Ally’s upcoming Pet Portrait workshops for those interested.

Sunday, September 5 at 2:30 pm
Marcie Wolf-Hubbard 
Marcie will demonstrate and have supplies available for creating in drawing and Mixed Media. This will give an idea about being in her art classes (Encaustic, Mixed Media & Drawing.) Marcie will have information about her upcoming Encaustic in person workshop, sample art, and tools/materials used in her classes.

Monday, September 6 at 2:30 pm
Tom Semmes
Weather permitting, Tom will demonstrate plein air painting outside the Armory building. Tom has been painting since he was a teenager, inspired by seeing the woods and fields that surrounded his childhood home mirrored in the works of the Impressionists at local museums. Painting outdoors ("plein air") has always been part of his practice. His paintings highlight expressive brushstrokes, a pleasing color harmony and an almost tangible sense of light."

Thanks to MAA member Lis Zadravec for organizing these demos.

Top left: Jennifer Kahn Barlow; bottom left: Marcie Wolf-Hubbard; center; Tom Semmes; right: Ally Morgan 

“Besides a parade, have an art show in the park!”

This sentiment was first expressed by Bertha Clum (1900-1987), a local artist and lifelong resident of Kensington who donated the Clum-Kennedy Gardens to the Town of Kensington, Maryland.

In the mid-1980s, “Art in the Park” became a reality with local artists, including children, displayed paintings in the gardens. In 1987, the adult component of “Art in the Park” became “Paint the Town.”

Cash prizes, the ambience of Kensington’s Labor Day festivities, and the opportunity to meet fellow artists drew participants from throughout the greater Washington area. Artists painted on-site in Kensington on Labor Day weekend.

In 1995, with the Town’s generous help, the show was expanded to a three-day viewing event (Saturday, Sunday and Monday) held in the Kensington Armory. Additional works of art, along with the plein air paintings of Kensington completed on Saturday, are displayed for sale with the theme of “Paint the Town.”

Through the years, the show has increased in terms of the number of artists, works displayed, and attendees. It is a key event for the Washington metropolitan artistic community and Kensington.

MAA usually sees robust membership signups each summer, when new and returning members join for the Paint the Town Labor Day Show. But this may very well take the cake! We're delighted to welcome 20 new and eight returning members back to our bunch:

Sandra Cane, Carol Cober, Jean Cooper, Kellie D., Nan Dawkins, John Dillon, Tamah Graber, Marci Green, Alex Gross, Jean Hirons, Jeffrey Human, Monica Ingudam, Michael Kaltman, Terry, Kelly, Angela Lacy, Margo Lehman, Lynn Lewis, John Moffitt, Andrea Mones, Barbara Novak, Robert Pearlman, Ting Rao, Sherry Selevan, Lian Sever, Jane Silver, Katherine Thomas, Andrea van den Heever, and Jessica Witmer (Muñiz).

Penny Mause 

Lives in: Northwest, Washington  DC

Social Media: 

Instagram: @penny.mause.art

Facebook: Penny Mause Art

Website: 

www.pennymause.com

Media and subjects: I prefer painting mainly in oils, but dabble in watercolor and drawing with graphite and charcoal. My subjects include mainly women and wildlife. I enjoy painting birds as well as typical northeastern backyard wildlife and take commissions for pet portraits. 

Why you joined MAA: To connect with other artists and learn about opportunities for exhibiting artwork as well as competitions. 

Something fun about you: I enjoy knitting in the winter months and am getting into quilting. 

Artist Biography 

Penny is a local to Washington DC and loves the area. She started drawing at a young age, and through many different career paths, finally made her way back to art last year in 2020 during the pandemic. Birds, wildlife and women are her preferred subjects, yet she also takes commissions for pet portraiture. She had studied at The Yellow Barn in Glen Echo, with Walt Bartman and Gavin Glakas as her teachers, and continues to do so. 

Penny seeks to expose our misunderstanding and sometimes ignorance of our natural surroundings, through prioritizing the subject matter of wildlife and incorporating the Renaissance style of portraiture with her subjects. She aims to bring awareness to the beauty of our environment and the detrimental effects we can have upon it through our modern ways of living. She hopes that with each painting, the viewer will be able to study the animal and bird subjects closely that they witness everyday, yet many times do not “see”, and will thus gain or reinforce a passion for our environment. 

She lives with her parents and her adopted dog Winston, and finds many subjects to paint in her backyard. With an upcoming solo show in late August, Penny is aiming to create art full-time and continue studying and producing art.  

Please enjoy viewing several of her wonderful art pieces. 

  

                       

By Jennie Crouch
MAA Member

Joey P. Mánlapaz--a noted contemporary realist painter, educator, and curator--will serve as judge of the 2021 Paint the Town Labor Day Show. With her many years of experience and impressive list of accolades, including being commissioned by the U.S. Library of Congress and First Lady Laura Bush for the 2003 National Book Festival, MAA is thrilled Mánlapaz will be lending her expert eye to our show. 

"I am honored to serve as judge for the upcoming Paint the Town exhibition at Montgomery Art Association,” she said. “After a year of jurying and attending virtual shows, I certainly look forward to viewing works and meeting artists in person once again!"

Those who frequent the Bethesda Metro Station, where a replica of one of her paintings is permanently installed, will be no strangers to Mánlapaz’s signature style--self-described as a combination “between the factual photorealism of Richard Estes and the deep psychological sensibility of Edward Hopper.”

Mánlapaz was born in the Philippines and has lived in the DC area for the majority of her life. It’s no surprise then that the sites and people of the region are her main subjects.  

In addition to being an accomplished painter, Mánlapaz is dedicated to providing art education to older adults at senior living and memory care facilities. She is also an associate faculty member at the Corcoran School of Art & Design and George Washington University and a lecturer at The Art League School in Alexandria, Virginia.

For more than 40 years, Paint the Town has been a hallmark art show in the region, and MAA is pleased to continue that tradition with our esteemed judge. 

Below are two of her pieces. You can see more of Mánlapaz’s work at joeymanlapaz.com.

Top: No Hands, oil on paper, 21x29.5"; bottom: Alienation (Loeb’s Deli), oil on linen, 30x40"

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 solitude. Scroll down to enjoy a lovely array of ideas!

Christopher Hoppe, “Being one with Nature” (oil on canvas, 20x24"). Enjoying the ocean and the sun setting with the beautiful clouds.

Martina Sestakova, "The Love Inside You" (acrylic on yupo, 26x20"). A moment of solitude seems to be the moment when one can indeed notice - in a deep way - the love inside and around.

Terry Pellmar, "Alone" (digital painting, 18"x24"). For some, solitude can mean loneliness.

Judith Levine, "To Matins" (crayon on Fabriano 140Lb cold press paper, 4x5"). I was watching a documentary and was struct by her sense of stillness and the solitude of the convent.

Rosemary Behizadeh Yue, “Tranquility” (acrylic on canvas, 24x24”) painted with palette knife. There’s something renewing about watching the sun glint through the trees and filter through the leaves.

Maria-Elena Lazarte, "Flowering Crabapple Tree" (plein air painting at the Brookside Gardens, oil on linen panel, 12x9”). Solitude is a moment to appreciate the beauty of nature.

Jean Fin, "Dream Studio" (oil on canvas, 16x20"). This is what comes to my mind when I contemplate my ideal art studio. The inside hardly matters when the surroundings are so lovely. 

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.