Poppies, #3, Tuscany 

Poppies, #3, Tuscany 

COVER by Father Arthur Poulin

Poppies, #3, Tuscany (acrylic on canvas). Father Poulin is a monk and artist who lives at Incarnation Monastery in Berkeley. His landscapes begin as black canvases; Poulin applies up to 25 layers of black gesso before outlining his drawings in white chalk. He then adds layer after layer of color, first with broad strokes, then with ever-smaller brushes. Poulin calls the style “contemplative.” For information about his original paintings, contact the artist at (510) 845-0601. Cards and reproductions of his work are available at the ACCI Gallery, 1652 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley.

Faces of the East Bay

In the Philanthropic Swim

In the Philanthropic Swim

Rockridge residents John Bliss and Kim Thompson may live far removed the gritty flats of East and West Oakland. But this philanthropic couple see themselves as one with the citizens of Oakland, particularly those who are struggling financially, and they’re leading a campaign to get their “financially blessed” peers to invest in the community like they have by funding city programs to teach kids how to swim.