Watercolor Pickle

On the one hand, you have to admire multi-talented people.

But how is it some people end up being very good at several things?  And how is it some people can take up a discipline and master it effortlessly?

That's the question I came away with after the opening of Victor Yanchick's show "Watercolors" at VCU Tompkins-McCaw Library this evening. Yanchick, who happens to be the dean of VCU's School of Pharmacy, decided to take a painting class in order to do something totally different from what he does on a day-to-day basis.

I imagine drugs get old after a while.

But unlike most of us who take a painting class, he was good at it and kept at it. His opening tonight showed just how well he's mastered the watercolor format with 42 works ranging from landscapes to still lifes to portraits.

After perusing the show, I met the artist and was surprised to learn that he paints from photos and magazine pictures. I admired the one called  "English Boathouse," mainly because it challenged my perception of England (granted, I've only been to London).

The view of buildings in pastel shades of peach, green and lavender was complemented by a stone wall shadowed in purple. What England was this? "Cornwall, perhaps," said the poet standing next to me and I appreciated the explanation. Yes, all that water.

My favorite piece was "Maymont Afternoon," but not because it reminded me of Maymont or even Richmond. Rather, the street scene looked like a Dutch village street, quaint and charming, with its turreted building and path leading off into the trees.

I was fascinated to hear that the artist uses painting as a way to wind down, the way some people use TV (shudder) or a good book at the end of a long day. About 9:30, he begins painting and with a few hours work is able to complete a watercolor while his wife sleeps upstairs.

But it's not for the profit that he does it. The works are sold and the proceeds benefit pharmacy scholarship programs. And in yet another how-can-you-resent-this-guy twist, all the frames he uses are reclaimed.

Yes, he scours garage and estate sales, buying inexpensive frames and matching them to the appropriate work. Some of them were quite striking. As are some people's abilities.

I gave a little thought to trying to discover my hidden talent and instead went with one of my known strengths: eating and drinking. Carver was calling and the Magpie had a nice crowd when I arrived, including a bartender from M Bistro I'd recently met.

"So you do come here," he said  with a smile, pointing at me. "You weren't lying." I'm not sure what it says that he thinks people lie about where they've been, but I didn't judge (much).

The wine list has a nice selection of Northwest wines and I went with the Thurston Wolfe Lemberger Rose since the wine rep had told me that Magpie had gotten the last seven cases of it. Drink it while you got it, kids.

My very August amuse bouche was a savory/sweet spoonful of fig, tomato, yogurt and balsamic reduction. The classic rock was rolling and T-Rex was banging a gong.

For dinner, I got the grilled house-made wild boar sausage with an enormous Briarwood pickle and coarse mustard. I loved the full-bodied flavor of the wild boar and found the pickle's pucker to provide a nice tartness to contrast with the richness of the meat.

Victor Yanchick could have made quite the still life out of that combination. And probably shot the wild boar and grilled up the sausage, too.

Proof positive that you never know what you can do until you try.