Peter Max shares talent with club

Suzie Harrison

Young student painters squealed in delight when world-renowned art

icon Peter Max came to see them at Laguna’s Boys and Girls Club

Friday.

Max is collaborating with Boys and Girls Clubs nationwide with art

contests to foster creativity and local pride.

About 40 club members produced their own works with Laguna Beach

as the subject and Max as the inspiration.

The pieces were vibrant and surreal.

“You all did a wonderful job, if I was choosing, I would give

everyone a prize,” Max said. “Keep on painting, don’t worry about

mistakes and paint a lot. Paint over mistakes ... that’s creativity.”

The winners beamed when Max congratulated them and shook their

hands.

Chris Bills, 12, won first place and received a signed work of

Max’s. Honorable mentions went to Anya Gourley, 7, Marcella Bechtel,

9, and Scott Streitfeld, 12.

“It’s a great honor to win, I feel lucky to be a winner from one

of the Boys and Girls Clubs,” Chris said. “I’m glad that I got to

participate. All the kids did a great job.”

Along with the joy of participating, Chris gained a greater

appreciation for Max’s work.

“It’s basically out of the solar system,” Chris said. “I won one

of his pieces and I’m still shaking, I’m so happy.”

Before the contest, club art teacher Gina Porter gave members a

lesson on Max’s art and showed examples to inspire the artists.

Laguna artists Jan Sattler and Sherry Bullard, representing Laguna

Outreach Community Art, served as judges.

“Kid’s need art in their lives and creativity,” said the club’s

Executive Director Kim Maxwell said. “Peter Max epitomizes the

dazzling impact imagination has.”