Local artist Huntley Castner describes his paintings as “essentially folk art, only with modern day folk heroes.”
“I only paint people I think highly of,” he said of his vibrant portraits.
His exhibit at Culture Brewing Company in Manhattan Beach features legends from the world of politics, sports and entertainment, the Dalai Lama, Amy Winehouse, Martin Luther King, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Muhammad Ali, and Robert F. Kennedy.
Also included in his personal pantheon are local residents Louise Wolf and attorney Robert Courtney.
“Wolf has been a great inspiration, someone who has set a solid example of how to live a happy and meaningful life,” he said.
Wolf, who attended college with Castner’s mother, is enjoying her moment in the spotlight. Castner painted her with a white bob, wearing a white, embroidered Mexican blouse.
“I’m right next to Frank Sinatra, and my portrait is bigger than Mary Tyler Moore’s,” Wolf said. “Talk about being in good company.”
Castner also honored Hermosa Beach attorney Robert Courtney, who he described as an inspirational friend, father and husband. Castner attended Mira Costa with Courtney’s son, Jake.
“I’ve watched him the whole way through, and tried to apply some of his life lessons,” he said.
Castner painted Courtney wearing his signature sweater vest and heavy black rimmed glasses.
Courtney is similarly admiring of Castner.
“Huntley’s a great talent and has great determination,” Courtney said. “He doesn’t stop. He keeps on reinventing himself.”
“He has a highly creative side,” added Courtney’s wife, Dorothy. “Since he’s taken up painting, he’s a happy camper.”
Castner minored in art history at Stanford but has no formal art training.
“I took one class at Stanford, where I drew nudes each week,” Castner said, “but that was it.”
Armed with an economics degree, Castner pursued a career in the food industry.
He opened his first restaurants in San Francisco with business partner Greg McNally, president of the Hermosa Beach Historical Society. When Castner proposed painting some art for their Mexican grills, McNally nixed the idea.
Castner then suggested hanging a painting he said was a gift from a Stanford classmate named Pico Bandolon.
“Greg said ‘Oh my God, I love this piece. Who is this Pico Bandolon?’ Luckily there was no internet then for Greg to look him up,” Castner said.
McNally eventually figured out Bandolon was Castner. The prolific artist then filled their restaurants with his works, among them a 12-foot “Dia de los Muertos” mariachi skeleton.
“He even made a folksy painting of a roadhouse dance scene for our Cajun restaurant,” McNally said.
“He’s a bit of a renaissance man. He does it all from academics, to athletics, to art.”
After 10 years, the two sold their restaurants.
Castner joined the management team overseeing Panda Express restaurants, and then became CEO of Yogurtland. His favorite part of that job, he said, was visiting the Willie Wonka laboratory where new flavors were invented daily. “We would all go down and taste the new flavors,” Castner said. “It was so much fun.”
Next came positions as chief financial officer of Lemonade, Farmer Boys, a burger chain in the Inland Empire, and Veggie Grill. Currently, he is CFO of Tender Greens and Tocaya Organica.
His busy work schedule left no time for art, Castner said, and his free time was dedicated to his family.
“I didn’t touch a paint brush for 20 years,” he said.
He resumed painting four years ago when his youngest daughter went away to college.
“I can work 12 hours at the other job, and then have the energy to do a couple of hours of this because it uses a completely different part of your brain that’s not tired,” he said.
Castner begins with photos of his subject and a canvas of repurposed wood. He usually plots 20 points, then sketches in the details.
“I want it to be more like pop art that’s really simple and clean,” he said.
It takes him a month to paint a portrait. If he’s painting a musician, he’ll listen to his or her music while creating the portrait. He read Nelson Mandela’s 650-page autobiography before he started his portrait of the South African leader.
There’s an intimacy to his paintings, even though you’ve seen the famous faces hundreds of times. His works, some as large as 48 by 48 inches, are painted in acrylic.
He said the most fun, and most difficult parts of the portraits are the eyes and mouths, “which are the tells for somebody’s personality, and their look.”
“Getting those two right is the hardest challenge, but offer the biggest reward,” he said.
He easily captures the toothy, reassuring grin of poet Maya Angelou, the different colored eyes of David Bowie, and defining details like basketball legend Bill Russell’s championship rings.
Castner said he’ll never paint anyone who doesn’t inspire him, or whose politics are not aligned with his.
“You won’t see me painting Mitch McConnell, or Donald Trump, or Ron down in Florida,” he said.
He rejected his daughter’s suggestion he paint singer Taylor Swift because “she doesn’t resonate with me,” he said.
Next on the docket is Magic Johnson.
“He’s such a team-oriented person, so happy.”
Japanese pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto, soccer great Pele, and of course, some local heroes will follow.
“I’ll probably paint Dorothy Courtney and (Hyperion Outfall trumpet player) Bob White,” he said.
The Castner exhibit at Culture Brewing Company closes Thursday, August 31. ER
