Dusty Fingers: Proprietor Pete, 14x11

Proprietor Pete, 14x11" Pastel on sanded paper

Last year during the Los Gatos Plein Air event, I met Pete while painting an urban nocturn of the Los Gatos Theatre. As I was working the city's iconic 1940's neon structure, I was boldly interrupted by my painting buddy Thomas Kitts, who had gone across the street to grab some grub at Gardino's Restaurant. Thomas bolted back across the street to tell me in a flurry that "We have an opportunity to meet Thomas Kinkade!" Well, you can guess my hesitation to clean up my "studio" just to meet someone you hear so much about. So I packed up my pochade box and my half sketched layout to find out what the fuss was all about. Call it curiosity.

Gardino's is an Italian bistro on the main strip that sweats a "mafia" like atmosphere. Pete, who is the owner, had struck a conversation with Thomas and so it began that "he" has an artist friend too. "You may know him...Thomas Kinkaid?" Yeah, like we heard of him. So Pete tried to contact his buddy TK, waiting long into the night as we sipped wine, but to no avail there was no return call. Pete was definitely the confident Italian, with a very strong gaze and posture. I asked if he could pose for me so I could someday paint him. And so he did.

In preparation for my return to Los Gatos Plein Air, I painted "Proprietor Pete"