By John A. Barry And Bill Carmel
E-mail John A. Barry And Bill Carmel
About this blog: John Barry is the creator of trAction Painting, a process/performance genre in which he applies paint to large surfaces with bicycles, roller skates, and other wheeled conveyances. With Bill Carmel and other associates, he has bro...
(More)About this blog: John Barry is the creator of trAction Painting, a process/performance genre in which he applies paint to large surfaces with bicycles, roller skates, and other wheeled conveyances. With Bill Carmel and other associates, he has brought trAction Painting events to local schools and summer camps. He also creates visual puns. His works are included in several private collections. John has authored/coauthored a dozen books, including Technobabble and Sunburst: The Ascent of Sun Microsystems. John can be contacted at jobarry33@comcast.net or 925-918-7882.
Bill Carmel has 35 years' experience as a professional artist. His fine art paintings, sculptures, and designs are included in private, corporate, and public art collections in the United States, Europe, and Australia. After teaching at Humboldt State University and Southern Illinois University, he returned to the Bay Area, where he remains active in the arts by serving as a co-curator for the Lamorinda Arts Council's Orinda Gallery and by exhibiting throughout the Bay Area. Bill reviews exhibits at SFMOMA, the De Young and Palace of Fine Arts museums, and other Bay Area exhibition venues. Bill can be contacted at billcarmel3@yahoo.com.
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Beth Bachelor is a legend in local art circles. A cofounder of the Alamo Danville Artists' Society (ADAS) in 1977 and the Contra Costa Academy of Fine Art in 2001, she still keeps an active teaching schedule in her spacious Alamo studio, where she has been turning out new generations of artists since 1970. Beth focuses primarily on portraiture. (She rendered the illustration of me that accompanies this column in spring 2009.)
On the cool, breezy night of July 30, Beth, friends, colleagues, and students celebrated her "39th" birthday at her Alamo home.
A pickup band consisting of two middle-aged guitarists and a 15-year-old drummer whose brother is a student of Beth's supplied live music. Between sets, recorded big-band music pervaded the patio and an impromptu dance party erupted. In the midst of all this, a violinist joined the band for a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday."
A splendid time was had by all, and I look forward to Beth's "49th" next year, at which time I hope to have overcome my occasional tendency to transpose digits.
John A. Barry is a writer and avocational artist. To share anything art-related, call him at 314-9528 or email jobarry@pacbell.net
