The Cadillac, The First Lady, The Odd Couple and the Snowy Owl

An eclectic group of artists is showing paintings and sculpture at the and during the months of June and July. There is something for everyone in this mix. If you are interested in cars, portraits or abstract sculpture, head over to the Arts Barn for works by Chip Cecil, Laura Elkins, the Arts Barn Portrait Group and Donald McComb. If wildlife and the out of doors are your cup of tea, Kentlands Mansion features works by Linda Harrison-Parsons and Marilu Tousignaut and Marie Riccio.

On the evening of June 7, the artists and invited guests gathered for an opening reception of the art shows at the two venues.

"It's a treat to be here in Gaithersburg," said Laura Elkins, who merges contexts through her uncanny self-portraits as Michelle Obama, Hilary Clinton, Lady Bird Johnson and Mamie Eisenhower. She painted these pieces en plein air after a tour of the White House and the official First Lady portraits on exhibit there inspired her to take a second look at the self-portrait genre and the expression of power, sexuality and femininity through the portrait in traditional painting.

The Arts Barn Portrait Group, led by former Arts Barn Artist-in-Residence Dale Eno Shore, takes a less genre-bending approach to portraiture without failing to communicate a personal style.

"Dale pulled together a group of artists. Together we started out at the Arts Barn, and now we paint at Hood College in Frederick. We paint from live professional models, and we critique one another and feed off each other constantly," said Bill Mapes. "Although we have a tight nucleus of artists that's remained together over the years, each artist in the group has maintained his/her individuality as well," he added.

The Arts Barn Portrait Group includes Dale Eno Shore, Bill Mapes, Tim Whitehouse and Alfred Loang. Works exhibited in the show feature Civil War era portraits and musicians among others.

Six glazed terracota sculptures by Donald McComb contribute a sense of abstraction to the otherwise representational realist flavor of the show at the Arts Barn.

"The Odd Couple," which gets its name from the movie originated as two separate sculptures brought together at a friend's suggestion. The pieces complement each other so well, it is difficult to imagine them apart. "Janus," makes reference to the two-faced Roman god according to the artist.

"The doors to the temple of Janus were either open or closed depending on whether Rome was at war or not," said McComb. He fashioned his sculpture to resemble both a two-faced entity and a gateway.

Cecil's paintings are large-scale and incorporate vintage automobiles and motorcycles set against dramatic landscapes. He also does not shy away from rendering the human figure at a comparable level of detail.

Linda-Harrison Parsons and Marily Tousignaut, showing at Kentlands Mansion, both apply a reductive technique to their work according to Parsons.

"Our common passion is wildlife and nature-related art," she said. "We paint from photos and make frequent trips to rescue shelters for our models."

"Large birds of prey, for instance, are difficult to photograph in real life," said Tousignaut who pointed to a peregrine falcon she rendered by etching away at scratchboard. "It's especially hard to get detailed photographs," she continued.

Parsons tones her paper before applying a pastel medium to it and removing sections of the tone with an eraser to bring out highlights.

The two artists are inseparable and usually exhibit together.

"We also travel together and use each others' photos as a reference," said Tousignaut.

Marie Riccio, also showing at Kentlands Mansion, is wedded to color and finding a focal point in her composition and communicating it through a spontaneous splash of brilliant yellow or pink.

"I look for and convey a focal point that sings," she said pointing out a small landscape of azaleas on the grounds of the Landon School in Bethesda. The school's azalea garden and annual festival are popular destinations of artists across the local surroundings.

The exhibits at the Arts Barn and Kentlands Mansion are on view during the months of June and July.

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To learn more about Kentlands Mansion, .