Be Stoked

People often ask me "Hey, you are a longtime art dealer. What do you have hanging in your own house?" It is a good question. The truth is, mostly the work of our friends, that is the stuff that is most important to us. Some tribal art and art nouveau. Honestly most of the paintings and prints on our walls are works by my long time friend Brett Stokes.

This colorful painting of a humpback and a dolphin hangs in our bathroom.  I am not sure when he painted it. We also have a large and beautiful painting of a shrouded kachina figure by the longtime Fallbrook artist above our fireplace. Other stuff scattered around.

I met Brett right after I saw a menu he designed for the Divine Cafe. It was sort of Griffinesque. I think I confronted him in a checkout line. We took art and painting classes together in college. Later we worked together at my sign shop on occasion. Have remained friends ever since. I used to watch baseball games with his mom and dad in the summer, classic people.

This is a logo and business card that Brett designed for my first art business, way back when I was selling psychedelic poster and original art. It was called El Flechador del Sol, which means the archer of the sun.

I bet that many of you own works by Brett. He's still around town, not quite as visible these days. Still a wonderful person and artist, still the same classic dude he ever was. Fallbrook's own.