A no nonsense place which supports the arts.

Nova Bar on Second Street between Bryant and Brannan in San Francisco is your regular, no nonsense bar and restaurant. Good food, a relaxed unpretentious atmosphere and when I was there the other day for a snack, a great display of art by Paul Morin.

Nova Bar and Restaurant. G1, kit lens @14mm, 1/60, f/3.5, ISO1600.

The crowd here is strictly from the arts world – banksters need not apply. The music volume is just right. Morin writes about his work, examples of which you can see above:

Paul Morin paints portraits that emphasize character. By capturing a look of amusement, bewilderment or other quirky expression, often accompanied by some kind of prop, Paul delves into the personality of his subjects much like a candid snapshot reveals the moment-specific projection of a person’s inner thoughts. Painted with silverleaf backgrounds, these large scale portraits capture all available light in their environment, emphasizing the dimensional qualities of Paul’s realist style.

“In my exploration of the human figure, I try to bring movement, expression, and impact to the physical boundaries of the canvas. ‘Scale’ is a very important concept for me — not only the size of the canvas, but how the elements fit within the canvas. I strive for immediacy and monumentality in my work. A moment caught in time but also a timeless sense of grandeur.

My use of color relies on nature but is never a slave to it. My technique is based on the old master techniques of 17th century Italian and Flemish painters. Though rooted in tradition, my work has the impact of contemporary painting. The figures confront — they meet the viewer half way (sometimes more than half way). Through layers of under-painting, I am able to bring a sense of movement caught, which brings life to the image — an impression that the expression will change suddenly, or a muscle will ripple. ” ~ P. Morin

The location is just across from South Park and I enjoyed a fine pesto linguine with chicken washed down with a Ninkasi draft red.

Snapped on an iPhone 3G.

As you can see, there’s no escaping the obligatory jumbo, who has consumed more in his pathetic excuse of a life than would feed a third world nation.

Glutton. G1, kit lens, same data as above.