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An oil painting of a full moon rising above the hills in Berkeley reflected in the water of the East Bay Berkeley Marina painted with dark violet, deep yellow and bright white colors.

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‘Full Moon Marina Reflection’, oil on canvas, 9″ x 5″
Original paintings and prints by Seamus Berkeley

A Reflection on ‘Full Moon Marina Reflection’

by Robyn Comfort

This painting looks made for a restaurant. When I see it I am flooded with exquisite and comforting sensory memories, the nostalgia of many meals spent growing up in the restaurant environment. Art and flowers. Welcoming staff and diners dressed for an evening out. Dim lights and precisely set tables. Chatter and clanking of cutlery on dishes, maybe even the hum of a bustling kitchen, depending on the restaurant. My Dad had a vibrant career, from opening restaurants in San Francisco to being Chef at the private Hudson House at Beringer Vineyards in St. Helena to instructing food and wine seminars for people running the food and wine industry. Because of my Dad, I had the privilege of growing up tasting my way through the world-class restaurants of my hometown, Napa, exploring food, and celebrating life milestones in this delectable setting.

Then, I was lucky to be accepted into UC Berkeley just like my big sister. We had a few precious years together on campus, so when Dad came to visit us the question was: where should we eat? My Dad easily plans events and trips based off of food. One year for his birthday he suggested we go to Chez Panisse Café. Chez Panisse is the birthplace of the farm-to-table movement in the SF Bay Area. Opened by Alice Waters after French cuisine transformed her life, Chez Panisse is a restaurant and café sourcing the best ingredients from local farms and gardens. Going there with Dad felt like a return home. The setting. The food. Time spent together giddy over a beautifully prepared, delicious meal.

Art has this evocative power over us. It stirs up memories and feelings forgotten or long overdue to remember.

What does ‘Full Moon Marina Reflection’ invite you to think of? An event? Place? Person? Taste? 

What are the moments of your life that you wish to contemplate more often? For me, it is a delicious snapshot such as this one, time spent at dining tables with loved ones. Together.

This painting looks made for a restaurant. When I see it I am flooded with exquisite and comforting sensory memories, the nostalgia of many meals spent growing up in the restaurant environment. Art and flowers. Welcoming staff and diners dressed for an evening out. Dim lights and precisely set tables. Chatter and clanking of cutlery on dishes, maybe even the hum of a bustling kitchen, depending on the restaurant. My Dad had a vibrant career, from opening restaurants in San Francisco to being Chef at the private Hudson House at Beringer Vineyards in St. Helena to instructing food and wine seminars for people running the food and wine industry. Because of my Dad, I had the privilege of growing up tasting my way through the world-class restaurants of my hometown, Napa, exploring food, and celebrating life milestones in this delectable setting.

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