thanks for the inspirations...Nathan Oliviera's memorial today at Stanford U.

One of the great artists of the 20th century, Nathan Oliviera passed away and his memoiral is today at Stanford University where he was a long-time teacher, mentor, professor, inspiration. When I started seriously painting in 1965, he was one of the American artists that influenced me. He was unique but also part of the West Coast/Bay Area School of artists. I only knew his work but when I moved here I became aware of the school and who was in it and their work. It was incredible to me, how much my work of the 60's fit into that group. Of course, I was still a student but I confounded many of my professors. They only knew to let me paint, that I had my own direction and was a colorist. Sometimes though they didn't get it. When I moved to the West Coast and continued my education the art professors were even more enlightened and I was very comfortable in my work. But they always said, you need to move to California or Mexico because of your colors. When I started my business, Starbell Enterprises, with 4 handpainted greeting cards in watercolors of the Monterey Bay National Marine Life Sanctuary, I was told people liked my colors locally because they were "California colors". I felt right at home and my business has only grown!

Oliviera was an inspiration from the first painting I ever saw of his. I went to his show of new work at the San Jose Museum of Art a few years ago and the inpiration was still working...although the timbre of his work had shifted somewhat. I love his poetic and haunting side, his out of the mists, the blue, the hiddeness revealed but you have to think about what it was about...it is stimulating. That's it, I carry his images with me mentally, one of the few artists of all time that stays with me...such a profound man he was. And really typically an artist simply observing life around him...his own life deeply grounded in family, education, career, friends...truly an amazing person, a genuine artist! His passing is noted, his influence will stay, his spiritual life will continue! Peace and bless you, sir!

Thank you for everything you gave to me.