No Joke...

"Dublin West"

8x10

oil on board

I opened an email this afternoon. An Account Manager of Zatista.com notified me that I was "Artist of the Day". Yes, its April Fool's day and those who don't see this today may not see it featured on Facebook HERE but I bask in my recognition for the day. Yay!

Today's painting is the one I was whining about the last several posts. I have decided enough is enough and stopped fiddling with it. This is the Dublin West BART [Bay Are Rapid Transit] station. It was painted from a pic taken with my phone when I was on the way to San Francisco last month.

Saddle Shoes

Wasn't it in the 50's that saddle shoes were the rage along with poodle skirts? My only personal memory of saddle shoes is the time a US Army doctor convinced my mother that I needed orthopedic saddle shoes to help correct my flat feet when I was 9 or 10 years old. I was "horrified" that I had to wear tan and brown saddle shoes when my friends all wore cute patent leather Mary Janes. Now I think they're cool again.

When I went to SF with Benny Alba a couple of months ago, I was lucky enough to sit across this dignified gentleman. He carried a cotton blue and red bag on his shoulder but I thought he looked very dapper with his white cap, white slacks and saddle shoes.

8x8 oil on hardboard

Field Trip

Benny Alba was kind enough to treat me to a BART ride and entry to SFMOMA's current exhibit of paired works of Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams. It was very interesting to learn the correlation with the two artists and how some pieces were almost identical in image. While Benny was generous enough to talk about history, technique, composition and why an image worked; I was amazed at the variety of scale of O'Keeffe's work. I had the preconceived idea her blossom paintings were huge but they were only on average 20x30. I also learned my favorite pieces were her landscapes and a tiny 6x8 painting of an adobe church.

I bought a small sketch book at the museum store [because I forgot to bring mine] and was able to draw this very classy but intense lady sitting in front of me on the return trip.

BART ( not Simpson )

Bay Area Rapid Transit or BART has been the source of riots and controversy after the killing of a detainee during his arrest by a BART officer.

This saddened me immensely. There are so many losses. For the family of the deceased, for the officer who resigned after the incident, for the community and department involved.

I've worked with BART police in many capacities. As an officer responding to the Station to assist a lone BART officer fighting with suspects, with the Administration and commanders as a Press Information Officer and Internal Affairs Investigator and at the receiving end for requests for assistance.

Click to enlarge if you wish

They are a fine group of men and women working in a very challenging environment.

There is nothing that will replace the loss of the young man who was killed but I have a difficult time understanding why people have gone to the extent of of threatening the officer's wife and infant girl at their home. That is why the family was out of state when he was arrested.

This is a composite I did for BART when a murder occurred on one of the trains. The witness was a passenger [ a business man in his 40's] and he was able to calmly describe the horrific scene of the suspect stabbing and killing another young man while they were in transit. The composite aided in the arrest of a then 17 year old suspect for the crime.