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| Octogenarian shows new stuff By Stacy Trevenon [ stacy@hmbreview.com ] Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 11:27 AM PDT On this rare occasion, June Miles admitted she’d had a slow day. “I was feeling a little tired, I don’t know why,” said the Moss Beach resident in her soft, genteel voice. “I did do my two-mile walk this morning.” Nothing unusual in that. Miles does do a daily two-mile loop through challengingly hilly streets in her Moss Beach neighborhood. However, Miles is 82. Perhaps the reason she was tired was that she’d had a long day planning her new art exhibit. The typically sprightly octogenarian, who started painting 35 years ago to “express on canvas” what she saw in the natural world around her and liked in photos, will display work in a month-long exhibit at U.S. Bank in Strawflower Center. Through the month of August, she will show some of her customary landscapes and seascapes in oil — many of which she displayed at a February exhibit at the Pacifica Community Center — along with about six new pieces, making a total of 20 paintings. Her new works represent a departure from her usual landscapes and seascapes, though her medium — oil — and her style remain the same. One new painting depicts a street scene in Paris, with human figures. Others are mountain scenes, one of which is of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano. Her foray into new subject matter equates to her personal commitment to keep life fresh and new. “This is what I do — try always to change myself,” she said simply. “Do something a little different than what I’ve ever done before.” These represent new steps in an artistic journey that has included showing work at Stanford University as well as local venues such as the Pumpkin Festival. Her professional life has combined both continuity and fresh starts. She worked for nearly three decades with the Cabrillo Unified School District as a secretary/receptionist in the high school career and counseling center, and since 1975 has served as a San Mateo County deputy registrar, providing space in her garage for voters on election days. Retirement from professional duties has been just as busy for her: She has sung soprano with the Coastside Chorale for 52 years — “Can you believe that? I can’t!” she said — and is active with local women’s and travel clubs. She has four children and several grandchildren, who are often recipients of her paintings. And she already has her next artistic venture planned: the world of flowers. Working from photographs, she wants to try florals next. “I don’t know how I’ll do on this,” she admitted, “but I kind of would like to try.” Miles’ U.S. Bank exhibit will formally begin with a reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6. |