{"product_id":"9781631924613","title":"Carry Your Own Joy: The Abstract Paintings and Life of Hari E. Thomas, a San Francisco Artist","description":"\u003cp\u003eBeloved for his free spirit, humor, philosophy of life, and incredible counseling skills, Hari E. Thomas (1938-2011) was a gifted and prolific abstract painter who left a legacy of truly beautiful, colorful, uplifting, mixed media works, mostly on paper. An African American who was born in Des Moines, Iowa, Hari moved to San Francisco in 1969, the Summer of Love, and he remained a resident there for over 40 years. Always wary of egotism and intent on subduing his own ego, Hari rarely showed his paintings in the later half of his life, hence he is unknown as a painter except with close friends and family. Presented here are 105 painting reproductions, together with Hari's life story based on interviews with his closest friends and family, and on the author's memories of him. The book also shares 18 portraits of Hari. Hari expressed himself in artistic ways from the time he was very young. He studied Art at the university level, first at Drake University in Des Moines; and later, after moving to San Francisco in 1969, he pursued and obtained a Masters degree in Fine Art at San Francisco State University (SFSU). An African American with some Native American ancestry, Hari focused on African Art while at SFSU, as well as Art Theory and Art Education. He was a natural born educator and counselor, and after graduating, he taught subjects in Art at San Francisco City College for a couple of years before settling into a career as a counselor, in which he truly excelled. Hari was also a spiritualist and freethinker who read copiously, meditated regularly, and shared with others what he learned. He believed in a holistic approach to life, was a staunch vegetarian, and advised others in a myriad of ways, from nutrition to relationship and career issues. In his vibrant paintings, viewers can see evidence of Hari's incredible dynamism, discipline, energy and connectedness to the more invisible, spiritual aspects of life. His mixed media paintings, many of which have three-dimensional relief formation, exude joy, strength and magnificent color harmony, revealing Hari's unique artistic vision. Cherished for his spontaneous humor and genuine concern for others, Hari's story is brought to life here through the voices of his closest friends and his son, and by Asha Carolyn Young's memories of him. It is a story warmed by the many special friendships that Hari lovingly cultivated. The author, Asha Carolyn Young, enjoyed a close friendship with Hari for over twenty years. As friends and painting colleagues, the two often met to view art shows featuring famous as well as unknown artists in San Francisco and other East Bay cities. The two friends egularly visited one another's studios to see and discuss current paintings, thereby fueling artistic inspiration. After Hari passed on in 2011, Asha became steward and curator of his many hundreds of paintings, together with his son, Brian Thomas. Asha Carolyn Young is a painter, writer and teacher. Born in Chiang Mai, Thailand to American parents, Asha had opportunity at age 15 to study brush painting with a Chinese painting master, Kan Yi Chen, when her family lived in Vientiane, Laos. Later, in Berkeley, California, she practiced sumi ink painting in a small group for five years under the guidance of Japanese master painter, Kayoko Bird. Asha also enjoyed many drawing, painting and Art History classes at Laney College in Oakland, California. Asha is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles and Berkeley (B.A., History, and M.A., Cultural Anthropology, respectively). She now lives with her husband, Ron McMath, and their pet family in the coastal town of Gualala, in northern California. Her own paintings show at: http:\/\/asha-young.fineartamerica.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Flowering Light Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49792437977328,"sku":"9781631924613","price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781631924613","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}