Paint Off in Mill Valley draws excited crowd

Painter Deanne Kraus is applying paint to her canvas which has been positioned on--of all things-- the ground.

It is quite windy as we stand in the middle of the Book Depot plaza on Saturday afternoon, surrounded by artists, easels and onlookers. Thirty-five artists are all challenging in the 19th annual Mill Valley Art Commission Paint Off.

The Paint Off pits artist against artist, as they quickly create their masterpiece in the allotted four-hour time limit. The artists just set up their easel at 10:30 a.m., and work in their favorite standard--oil, acrylic, pastel or watercolor--to capture the downtown scene until 2:30 p.m. when time is called.

After the artists are asked to put down their brushes, the public gets to stroll around and mark their "People's Choice" for the most excellent painting. Then, the artists choose their favorites for "Artists Choice" for 1st, 2nd and 3rd. There is also the "Jack Beck Choice", given by the guy--Jack Beck--who formed the Paint off competition in 1990.