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As of yesterday afternoon, Rockville's Glenview Mansion had no power. When the lights do come back on, check out a group show art featuring Janet Gohres, David Carter, Olga Shpitalna and Ted Schroll. As Snowmageddon strangles the Washington area, Carter discusses painting and the insects that populate the backyard of his Mount Airy home.

Jordan Edwards: You create oil paintings, but you do some cartooning and freelance illustration. Is it hard to find a balance between serious work and fun?

David Carter: When I was working part-time, I had to say yes to just about any gig that came my way. That explains the variety in the subjects I've taught and the kinds of projects I've taken on. My first priority is the more serious painting projects.

JE: Why did start painting praying mantises?

DC: That's actually a pretty recent thing. Most of my work over the years has been figurative — the human figure. Since I've been living out here in Mount Airy, I've had a little more contact with bugs in my backyard. I've had a fascination with them for a long time. I've just never included them as artistic inspiration. The praying mantises — I was taking thousands and thousands of photographs of these bugs. It just occurred to me that this was a very rich potential subject.

JE: What's so fascinating about them?

DC: For one thing, they have such a presence. There's these human-like qualities, the way they look at you, the way they move around. On close inspection, the pure form of their anatomy is so amazing. I'm continually learning more and more about that.

JE: So you're a praying mantis expert.

DC: (laughs) I don't know enough, but I'm pretty familiar.

JE: Do you still paint human figures?

DC: I still do human figures. In fact, I've got a whole list of projects built around compositions of human figures that I'm eager to get to. I've got a show coming up at National Harbor by the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. That's going to involve some older pieces.

JE: You have been teaching for several years at the Montgomery College Germantown Campus. What do you enjoy about teaching?

DC: Probably most people who teach, if they had their first choice, would probably be making their art all the time. Teaching is a reliable source of employment, and it's an opportunity to share your interests and talk about it. You get to encourage people, inspire people and help them see some of the things that you see.

Check out the art of David Carter through March 2 at Glenview Mansion, 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville Civic Center Park, Rockville. Call 240-314-8660 or visit http://www.rockvillemd.gov/glenview. Read the full story in the Scene section of next Wednesday's Gazette.