Cover | Molly Kars
The Twins (oil on panel; sold; 16″ x 20″). This month’s cover is by artist Molly Kars whose unconventional family portraits combine anthropomorphic whimsy and playful dignity. This piece, The Twins, uses an impressionistic style found in many of her paintings. Kars admits that it’s not every day one sees a family of macaws dressed in Hawaiian shirts sitting on a park bench in what looks like a van Gogh painting. This is the sort of eccentricity that not only keeps her smiling while working, but also calls into question the very notion of portraiture. “We tend to ascribe human qualities to animals, and I’m simply deconstructing that tendency and having fun with it. This allows people to reconnect with the natural world by getting them in touch with their spirit animal.” Kars has been creating and selling her artwork in the East Bay and Northern California since 2008. She has recently worked with musicians on album covers and merchandise and is currently the art curator at Bica Coffeehouse, her favorite local cafe in Oakland. She also works with all-age students as a private art instructor. Join Kars and 50 other local artists at the Montclair Fine Arts Festival on June 24-25 and see her original artwork in person. For information about Kars, visit www.MollyKars.com, and follow her on Instagram @MollyKarsArt.
COMING SOON: Summer is here, and Repast goes to West Berkeley for a little mid-range Mexican madness, Nosh Box explores summer varietals, and our book critic weighs in on Anne Lamott’s latest, Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy. Also next month: a look at senior living in today’s East Bay.
