I've always admired the work of painters. They show us the world in a way we have not seen before, and often they create a world we've never seen at all. Even the most literal painter calls our attention to something we should examine more carefully. As a child, I recall poring over the paintings reproduced in the Childcraft series of books. I was pouring my oatmeal or orange juice when I wasn't careful, but I had to see the paintings. Those Rembrandt skies were amazing before the oatmeal. My dad painted oils way back then, my mom paints watercolors today. Here are a couple of Bay Area artists I've met. As always, click on the thumbnails for larger photos, unless you prefer miniature paintings.
Britt-Marie Pazdirek does landscapes. I've attended three of her shows in the Berkeley area. She likes to stay at the location to do her painting, which limits her chances. If the light goes bad on a shoreline, she's maybe lost a painting. I gave Britt-Marie my solution: take a camera to the beach and take a photograph when the light is good, then do her painting from the photo back in the comfort of her home. She told me that would be cheating, to which I replied, "We're artists, the rules of society do not apply to us." I told Britt-Marie how Gauguin's best paintings of Tahiti came from postcards and wall calendars before he ever went there, and then she hit me with a paintbrush.
Britt-Marie's most recent show is at the Turn of the Century in Berkeley, on San Pablo and near Dwight. She has a few of her landscapes on display there.
I asked Britt-Marie where she'd like to go next and paint. I think she mentioned Ireland. She'd like to walk the streets of Dublin on June 16th. She'd like to visit 7 Eccles Street. Just look at Britt-Marie's gaze here. She is looking toward San Pablo Avenue, but she sees Ireland.
Sam Andrew lives up in Marin County. He's quite accomplished at creating group portraits of people who not only didn't pose together, but in many cases have never met each other. He makes it work. In one painting, I think he had a couple of dozen small portraits. The little one of me was quite good, I don't recall how anybody else looked. This is a photo of Sam putting the finishing touches on his latest WHILE directing traffic on 4th Street. The traffic stopped, by the way.
Here you see the way Sam works. He prefers to prop his canvas up against the cafe window, thus exposing it to natural light. This isn't as easy as it seems. Most of the time, patrons of the cafe are sitting at the table, but who doesn't like to watch an artist work? I would have paid extra to eat at a table where Monet was doing something with water lilies. Just one of those coincidences, notice how Sam is between his painting and a poster for a movie.
I think I asked Sam one day what he'd like to be doing if not painting. He said he'd like to play for a rock band. Well, isn't that the way it is? Politicians are fascinated with movie stars, and rock stars want to be actors, and artists want to play psychedelic 60's rock. Well, I say good luck. He's a good guy, I have faith in Sam, and BBHC.com.
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