Richard Booker worked in the San Joaquin Valley. He was know for his acrylic on cork works. Any information about him would be appreciated.

-- Tom Allen (allentg@charter.net), November 08, 2004

Answers

Dear Tom

I understand Richard Booker passed away within the last year or so - I managed to find an article in a California paper listing his death. His wife made the frames to his oil paintings, as well as the cork art that you mention. When I was a boy my father took me to a gallery in San Francisco, it was 1966 and we bought a Richard Booker painting called 'Greek Hydra'. It had just won best oil painting in the San Mateo County Art Fair. I still have the painting. I have two other paintings, another still life with a silver goblet and fruit and a painting of one of the missions on cork. I believe that the cork paintings were done later, his early work was oil on canvas. I believe there is a gallery run by his family in the South Bay Area, or near abouts which might still be there? That's about all I know. If you find more information, I would appreciate if you forward it to me. I live in London now. Yours, Mark Roche

-- Mark Roche (mark@mra.co.uk), March 02, 2005.