The results can be seen at U.S. Bank in Strawflower Village, where Shapira will exhibit about 30 “plein-air” watercolors through March. Mostly local scenes, they are done in bright hues, with playful whimsy and through Shapira’s participation in the informal Half Moon Bay Plein Air painting group. They also cheer patrons waiting in line at the bank.
“They allow people something whimsical to look at,” said Shapira.
 Montara dentist and artist Eric Shapira stands in front of some of his new watercolor works. |
The paintings range from a few inches to roughly a foot square and show off Shapira’s eye for color and detail in Princeton Harbor, Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Cypress Flower Farms, cliffs above Quarry Park, trees, fields, seascapes, Surfer’s Beach, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and San Gregorio.
Other paintings venture far afield: a triptych from Guatemala when Shapira visited on a Rotary International humanitarian mission, or tall ships sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Shapira tries to capture all the hues hidden in an ocean wave that make up the solid blue of water, or the many flowers in a field.
“I struggle with every nuance,” he said.
The paintings are for sale from $250 to $1,000.
Art was something Shapira had enjoyed since boyhood, from painting to sculpture in bronze, marble and wood. Seeking a career that would help people, he pursued dentistry and practiced locally for more than 40 years. At the same time, he showed art through the San Mateo County Fair, Peninsula Sculpture Arts Competition, Coastal Arts League and more.
Medicine and fine art don’t differ that much. “Dentistry is both an art and a science,” Shapira said, comparing sculpting and designing a dental bridge.
When he moved into gerontology, the metaphor continued. “I’m molding people’s health,” he said. “Trying to help them create a healthy life.”
Taking up watercolor about 18 months ago, helped Shapira deal with physical discomfort. “By expressing my creative side, I can overcome physical pain,” he said.
But watercolor also gave him a whole new set of challenges. The medium tends to run, and not allow artists to paint over mistakes, and it demands quick work, particularly in plein-air painting outside and often under fleeting moments of light.
“It’s a challenge for me,” he said. “Experimental. I’m learning something new about watercolor, about myself and the ability to visualize and put it on paper.”
Ultimately, the challenge is good. “It helps me visualize in a better way,” he said. “I try to put myself in the environment and in the moment when I paint. It’s fun and interesting and very different.”
The challenge also jived for U.S. Bank, in which Adam strives to showcase local artists. So far, Coastsiders Logan Payne, Ellen Joseph, Linda Andreini and Carl Mahler have shown work there.
An artist’s reception for Shapira is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 at the bank.
For information, call Shapira at 728-5827.
At a glance
What: Artist’s reception for Eric Shapira
Where: U.S. Bank, Strawflower Village
When: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, March 26
Cost: Free
Information: 728-5827
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