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The Art Of Jeffrey Dale Starr
Jeff paints the things he loves, so there are many works portraying San Francisco, Europe, Japan and dream-like imagery in the style of Impressionism.
He has been oil painting since his youth, and as a child was influenced by the work of Vincent Van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Claude Monet and Jackson Pollock. Jeff Starr was fortunate to have been raised by parents with an appreciation for art, who exposed him to great works in museums across the country, including the Smithsonian.
Inspirations
San Francisco
San Francisco - Inspiration of American oil painter Jeff Starr. My wife, Starrina, and I moved to San Francisco in February 1996. Before that, we had lived in Dallas, Texas. We enjoyed Dallas well enough and still have many close friends there. But once we visited San Francisco in 1994, we knew this is where we wanted to live.
First and foremost is the weather. The area I live in, called Outer Mission, is one of the foggier spots in town. Basically, if it's foggy anywhere in the Bay Area, chances are it's foggy in my neighborhood. After growing up in Cleveland, Ohio (with its horrible winters) till I was 12, and then spending the next 15 years in the death-dealing heat of Texas, year-round temperatures hovering around 55°F is just wonderful.
Naturally, I find much inspiration for my paintings in my home town. For an artist, you couldn't ask for a more picaresque location than San Francisco. We have Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach, the Marin Headlands, the Embarcadero, the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown...it goes on and on. And that's just in the immediate area. A short drive north takes you to Muir Woods, south takes you to Monterey and Carmel, southeast to Yosemite. A little longer drive will take you to Lake Tahoe or south to Santa Barbara.
In case you couldn't guess, I love California.
First and foremost is the weather. The area I live in, called Outer Mission, is one of the foggier spots in town. Basically, if it's foggy anywhere in the Bay Area, chances are it's foggy in my neighborhood. After growing up in Cleveland, Ohio (with its horrible winters) till I was 12, and then spending the next 15 years in the death-dealing heat of Texas, year-round temperatures hovering around 55°F is just wonderful.
Naturally, I find much inspiration for my paintings in my home town. For an artist, you couldn't ask for a more picaresque location than San Francisco. We have Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach, the Marin Headlands, the Embarcadero, the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown...it goes on and on. And that's just in the immediate area. A short drive north takes you to Muir Woods, south takes you to Monterey and Carmel, southeast to Yosemite. A little longer drive will take you to Lake Tahoe or south to Santa Barbara.
In case you couldn't guess, I love California.
In 1776, the Spanish established a fort at the Golden Gate and a mission named for Francis of Assisi. The California Gold Rush in 1848 propelled the city into a period of rapid growth, transforming it into the largest city on the West Coast at the time. After being devastated by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt, hosting the Panama-Pacific International Exposition nine years later. During World War II, San Francisco was the send-off point for many soldiers to the Pacific Theater.
Today, San Francisco is a popular international tourist destination renowned for its chilly summer fog, steep rolling hills, eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture and its famous landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge, the cable cars, and Chinatown.
San Francisco is famous for its hills. There are more than 50 hills within city limits. Some neighborhoods are named after the hill on which they are situated, including Nob Hill, Pacific Heights, and Russian Hill. Near the geographic center of the city, southwest of the downtown area, are a series of less densely populated hills. Twin Peaks, a pair of hills resting at one of the city's highest points, forms a popular overlook spot. San Francisco's tallest hill, Mount Davidson, is 925 feet (282 m) high and is capped with a 103 foot (31 m) tall cross built in 1934. Dominating this area is Sutro Tower, a large red and white radio and television transmission tower.
