Artist and teacher Alice Webb has been inspired by the beauty of Clarkland Farms for 27 years, ever since she moved into a house next door.

Now Webb and her students are sharing the farm life through their art, with a show at Margaret Smith Gallery in Ellicott City through Dec. 8.

"It's a special place to paint," Webb said of the farm. Along Route 108 in Howard County, the home of former state Sen. James Clark Jr. may be one of the most prominent remnants of the rural life that once dominated the area.

The Clark family has farmed in the county since 1797. Today, Clark and his family continue to grow crops and raise cattle and sheep. They also offer a petting farm and produce stand that bring many people to the property.

Webb has used the farm in her oil paintings, watercolors and etchings. Last year, she decided to take her watercolor students to the farm several times to make sketches and take photographs. Clark gave the students a guided tour.

"We've had students here before, and we always welcome them," said Clark, adding that it was interesting to see the final exhibit because "you never know what the artist is going to see."

The art of farming

The exhibit includes several works by Webb and one painting each by 32 of her students. The artworks feature barns, fields, trees, birds, cows, sheep and people working on the farm.

Donna Winterling of Clarksville painted three calves standing over a bucket of water.

"The three of them had such cute expressions on their faces," said Winterling, who started taking lessons in 1994.

Claudia Dailey, who took up painting more than 35 years ago, used enlarged photographs of Clarkland Farms lambs to create her watercolor.

"I certainly enjoyed going to the farm and looking around," Dailey said. "I had a terrible time deciding what to paint."

Winterling said she enjoys Webb's classes "for the camaraderie and the assistance Alice gives."

"Alice is a great teacher. She allows individuals to develop their own style," she said.

"I think Alice manages to bring out the best qualities in each painter," Dailey said. "That's difficult to do."

As a teacher, "I focus on ... a complete knowledge of the materials they are using," Webb said. She makes every student, regardless of his or her background, start with a month of beginner exercises, such as working only with primary colors.

"It is the cleansing of the old knowledge and the starting of my knowledge," she said.

Later, she works with painters on composition, focal points and creativity.

Love at first sight

Webb, her husband and their two sons moved to Howard County in 1975 after they fell in love with a house "in the middle of nowhere." At first, she did not think of the farm next door as accessible. But then her sons, in the first and third grades at the time, put on their safari hats and set out to meet the senator.

Clark's wife, Lillian, invited the youngsters in and gave them cookies, Webb remembered, and Senator Clark asked if their parents were registered Democrats. The two families became friends after that, and Webb enjoyed using the landscape for her art.

"Now, every time something happens, they call me to take photographs," said Webb, who also designs the Clarkland Farms Web site.

Webb earned a bachelor's degree in graphics design from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and worked in that field for a few years. Then the store where she had her paintings framed offered to hold a show of her work.

She quit her job, had a successful show and decided to pursue painting. She also started teaching in nursing homes in Baltimore County.

In 1992, Webb launched Sunburst Studio. She was president of the Baltimore Watercolor Society for four years and spent six years on the Columbia Arts Council. Now, she teaches three weekly classes in her home.

The rest of the time she spends on her art. That means lots of time visiting with her neighbors.

"Everyone loves this farm," Clark said. "They are tired of wall-to-wall houses."

The exhibit has been "a real hit since it's been up," said Thomas H. Akins, president of Margaret Smith Gallery.

"It invites you to appreciate farming more," he said.

"A Pictorial Visit to Clarkland Farms" is on display at the Margaret Smith Gallery, 8090 Main St., Ellicott City, through Dec. 8. Information: 410-461-0870.