Arthur on the go

When artist Arthur Krakower called to tell me about his new solo exhibit, I hope he didn’t mind that I told him he sounded like my grandfather.

I meant it as a compliment. There was the same intent kindness in his voice, and the same twist of New York (he said “be-caws” instead of “be-cuz”).

He didn’t seem to mind. He probably gets the grandfather thing a lot. After all, the Atherton artist became the oldest graduate of the California College of the Arts when he earned his master’s degree at the age of 80 in 2001.

Ever prolific, Arthur has come out with “Tears of Joy,” a new series of oil paintings and monotypes, which he’s showing at the CPF Gallery (also a framing store) in San Francisco through May 26. Then he's off to Italy to capture villages and people; he expects those creations will be part of his September exhibit in Palo Alto at Smith Andersen Editions.

“Painting keeps you young,” Arthur told me. “You’re constantly looking at new ideas.”

For more about Arthur, check out a sweet story that ran a few years back in our sister paper The Almanac (written by my dear friend Andrea Gemmet -- not that I’m biased).

Pictured: "Aunt Jean at Long Beach," a 2003 oil on wood by Arthur Krakower.