"This etching has hung in my house ever since I decided to
make San Francisco my permanent home and raise a family here. I love it because
I loved the artist who made it, my cousin Beth. She often found her models on
the streets of San Francisco and offered them a meal and income in exchange for
modeling at a few drawing sessions. Beth is most known for her etchings of
animals and flowers, which hang in museums around the country. But it's her
lesser known portraits of San Francisco residents that convey her deep
affection for her community and her ability to see the humanity in everyone." Mary Hossfeld
https://collection.mcnayart.org/objects/20013/trac...
"Beth Van Hoesen and fellow artist Wayne Thiebaud were close friends. The two often shared studio space, and the expense of hiring a model, in the converted firehouse where Van Hoesen lived with her husband, the artist Mark Adams." The McNay
https://www.mcnayart.org/exhibition/beth-van-hoese...
Other selections by Mary Hossfeld
Bowl of Borscht, 1982. Mark Adams.
"While his grander paintings, tapestries (Lotus Sumatra at the de Young) and stained glass (the Fire and Water windows at Temple Emanuel) are far more well known, this understated, whimsical watercolor of a simple bowl of soup is one of my favorites because of the memories it conjures. I had just moved from NY to CA for college, and was having my first Thanksgiving away from home. Mark and his wife Beth were hosting the holiday in their SF home. I was asked to make and bring borscht soup, a dish I had never even tasted. Seated around the Thanksgiving table, I asked Mark, "why on earth borscht soup?" and he responded, with a twinkle in his eye, "the color!" The next year, he painted this." Mary Hossfeld
Lotus Sumatra, de Young collection, 1989. Mark Adams.
"Mark's paintings have always brought me joy, especially those showing off his favorite colors, pink and orange. His works—whether watercolor, tapestry or stained glass—all have a luminescent quality, as did he. He was a quiet man with a big heart and he exuded joy and generosity. This tapestry, from the de Young's permanent collection, is one of my all time favorites." Mary Hossfeld
