The title of the Howard County Center for the Arts' annual Resident Artists exhibit, "Personal Perspectives," indicates the extent to which they share the same building and yet have distinctive artistic identities.

Some of the strongest work in this group show is notable for being so quiet. Thomasine M. Spore establishes a reflective tone in two pieces: the oil on paper "The Painter" depicts an artist working in a meditatively spare landscape; and the watercolor "Storm at Key Bridge" has a monochromatic mood in which the skeletal frame of the bridge and a single sailboat are nearly concealed by the merger of gray clouds and gray water.

For reflections on mortality, consult several small still-life oil paintings by David Zuccarini in which the props are skulls and other objects suitable for the "vanitas" tradition.

Although the human subject is very much alive in James Adkins' two oil paintings of a nude model named Molly, she's the embodiment of calm. Adkins also has three small oil paintings that served as studies for his portrait of arts patrons Beth and Peter Horowitz on permanent display at Howard Community College.

Reflective in a more literal-minded manner are a few watercolor still-life subjects by Joan Bevelaqua in which light glistens on the smooth surface of eggplants, squash and peppers. The gleaming purple eggplants are especially beautiful.

Among others in the show, it's nice to see the selection of watercolors by Mary Jo Tydlacka that all involve local public gatherings. Outdoor Shakespeare productions, a carnival and a lakefront concert are reminders that art thrives in Howard County during the warm weather months. Folk art-evocative figuration and friendly colors accentuate the festive atmosphere.

Most of the artists in this exhibit are represented by a consistent subject and style, but Andrei Trach offers two somewhat different approaches to painting. The oil painting "Wandering Spirits" depicts an expressively handled landscape anchored by two lofty fir trees and a symbolically resonant sun.

Three other paintings by Trach are so expressive that they're complete abstractions with assertively swirling colors; these large paintings seem random in terms of compositional strategy, but they're a lively contrast to much of the gentle artwork elsewhere in Gallery I.

Also represented in the Resident Artists exhibit are Jamie Travers, Leora (Lee) Smith, Art Landerman, Nichole Hickey, Pat Baker, Diana Marta and Carolyn Cates.

In Gallery II, "A Twist on the Ordinary" features work by Megan Auman and Marisa DiPaola, who both tweak conventions. DiPaola constructs women's gowns out of unconventional material. Candy wrappers and butter paper are among the unlikely items deftly deployed to make these brightly patterned dresses. Auman uses very thin strands of powder-coated steel to build the frame-like suggestion of a "Living Room" and a "Folio Chair with Pillows."

"Personal Perspectives" and "A Twist on the Ordinary" remain through June 22 at the Howard County Center for the Arts, in Ellicott City. Call 410-313-2787 or go to www.hocoarts.org.

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