Sketches & paintings 
by
Bob Birkenes

I first saw one of Bob's sketches when it was attached to an email from another Santa Monica High School alumnus, Peter Cornberg. Peter knew Bob from the old SAMOHI days and thought I'd like to see his work. He was right.

Shortly after that I contacted Bob and asked if I could publish some of his drawings on the website and he kindly mailed over some copies which I've scanned. 

It took me a while to publish the page, but I think you'll agree that it was worth the wait. Thanks for your patience, Bob. 


The entrance to the Santa Monica Pier
(and what used to be the best clam chowder around)


Biographical note:
Robert Birkenes is an artist who has enjoyed traveling throughout the United States and living in the northeast, westcoast, midwest, Mexico and presently calls Boca Raton, Florida his home.

He is constantly impressed with the charm and individuality he senses from the old buildings and historical landmarks, which seem to be vanishing all too soon.

Since preservation of many historical edifices, such as Chicago's Old Stock Exchange or Los Angeles' Bunker Hill Victorian section of homes, seem to be impossible, Mr. Birkenes is preserving these memories through his drawings and paintings.

As his creative work evolves and develops, it grows in character. When it is completed, it is not a cold architectural statement, but Mr. Birkenes' interpretation of the building's personality. The beauty in his drawings lies in knowing which lines to include and which to leave out to create a meaningful statement. Of course design and composition are very important in the final analysis.

His drawings and paintings reflect a deep appreciation of, and concern for, this facet of our vanishing , but typically Historic American Architectural Heritage. Mr. Birkenes received his B.F.A. Degree from the Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, California. Many of his creations have found their place in private as well as corporate collections throughout America.

All images © Robert Birkenes, 2005 - All Rights Reserved

Private and Corporate Collections: 

Bill Kurtis-TV Commentator
Tim Kazurinsky-Actor, Comedian, Writer 
Steve Mulder-Whitehall, Boca Raton 
Inland Steel Company, Chicago
State Farm Insurance, Chicago
Mr. & Mrs. Edward Duggan, Boca Raton 
Robert Venturi-Architect, Philadelphia 
General Motors de Mexico
National Assoc. of Realtors, Chicago 
Arthur Rubloff Realty Corp., Chicago 
McCann Erickson Advertising, Mexico 
Oak Street Bank, Chicago
Foote, Cone, & Belding, Chicago 
Monsanto Corporation

 

Exhibits:

Roberts Art Gallery, Santa Monica
Santa Monica Library Art Gallery, Ca
Leo Burnett Advertising, Chicago
Oak Street Art Gallery, Chicago
Joy Horwich Art Gallery, Chicago
Golf Mill Art Exhibit, Chicago
Peter Strauss Ranch Exhibit, Los Angeles
Learning Tree University, Los Angeles
Juried Show Westlake Village Art Guild, Los Angeles
Lake Forest Art League, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois-Juried Art Exhibit
McCann Erickson-Art Exhibit, Mexico City
Old Orchard-Juried Exhibit, Chicago
Chicago Old Town Art Exhibit-Juried Show

A familiar scene from Santa Monica/Ocean Park just south of the Santa Monica Pier and a quick jog from the Bay Street surf. "Hot Dog Stick" was also known by some as "Heartburn On A Stick." I'd usually end up with a blob of mustard & ketchup on the front of my shirt or wetsuit or bare chest, but I could easily scrape it off with a finger and slurp it without worrying about my mother knowing.

The term, "Hotdog on a Stick," was adopted by surfer's and one of terms applied to Dewey Weber (aka "Little Man on Wheels"). In the early 60's I invested the money I'd saved for a trip to Hawaii in what would have been the first 35mm surfing feature film titled "Hotdog On A Stick." The film never made it to the silver screen, my money was lost and another seven years passed before I finally got to The Islands and live there.

 



When the surf was down and you were feeling like a change of pace and a good feed, the Santa Monica Pier beckoned. The plaster place had curious objets dŽart, the shooting gallery offered the challenge of bent rifle barrels, watching the fishermen and women go about their business was always entertaining and the merry-go-round was mesmerizing. But the main attraction for me was the clam chowder joint where I could get a hearty bowl of "New England Clam Chowder" and some crackers wrapped in cellophane for 95 cents ... or a large cup of chowder without crackers for 50 cents. Either way, it could turn a cold winter's day into pure sunshine.

 

 

Three views of the merry-go-round on Santa Monica Pier. Many people around the world will recognize it as the the merry-go-round used in the classic Newman/Redford film, The Sting. What few people know is that the Santa Monica City Council wanted to tear down the pier in the 60's. The reason given was the cost of repairs and maintenance. But the real reason was tied the city's grand scheme to build an offshore causeway from Santa Monica to Point Magu. Having rejected the causeway - and in the biggest political upset in Santa Monica's history - voters ousted every council member who wanted the pier demolished.

 

This sketch of the Kanan Road Tunnel in Malibu Canyon brought back a lot of old memories. The first time I remember going through the tunnel was in the 40's when my step-dad and mom drove my sister, Mimi, and me, over to the San Fernando Valley for a picnic in an orange grove. Due to the constant threat of landslides, the drive was quite an adventure and I've driven through that tunnel many, many times since then. One dark, stormy night in the mid-sixties I was driving over from the Con Surfboard shop I managed in Woodland Hills to attend a meeting of the Malibu Surfing Association when I encountered one of the weirdest scenes of my life. Just past the Malibu side of the tunnel, the road was covered in frogs! There must have been millions of them - all heading towards the canyon side of the road! It appeared that I was the only car on the road, so I sat there for a while waiting for the frogs to pass. But they still kept coming, as if there was some sort of frog factory churning them out non-stop. Eventually, I got fed up with waiting and slowly drove forward through the sea of dark, slick, hopping shapes. Fortunately, it was raining so hard that I didn't hear what my tires were doing and, after 50 yards or so I was back on a frog-free road.

 

"The Pier Fish House" restaurant in Ventura. I have no idea whether it's still there, but it certainly was in 1990 when Bob Birkenes did this sketch.

Bob Birkenes is an artist and architectural illustrator whose work captures buildings and landmarks that may now be lost to future generations. Let me know if you'd like to see more of his work or if you'd like to contact him.

All Images © Robert Birkenes, 2005 - All Rights Reserved

 


"I just ran across an old image of SM Pier – a photo that I shot before the pier was wiped out and lost a big section at the end.
I thought that you might enjoy it." - Bob Birkenes

 The part of the pier I enjoyed the most was between the Merry-Go-Round (upper left with circus-tent shaped roof)
and Sinbad's (the large brown colored building). That's where the shooting gallery, plaster-art shop
photo kiosk and clam chowder place were located.

Introduction, descriptions and captions © Robert R. Feigel, 2005 - All rights reserved