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Painter Wayne Thiebaud is best known for his carefully studied still lifes of ordinary objects such as hot dogs, sweets, and lipsticks. It\u2019s his cherry-topped cakes, lush with frosting, and brightly hued slices of pie that first come to mind for many of his fans. The pleasures of diners and dessert carts, rendered in thick paint, evoke a bygone era. But what could be misinterpreted as\xa0saccharine nostalgia is often cut through by a sort of sadness. The blue shadow around a plate \u2026 the downward gaze of a pair of swimmers. \xa0Thiebaud\u2019s landscapes, showcasing\xa0the steep streets of San Francisco, and the golden hills of California, feature an intensity of light and color, as well as his distinctive brushwork and lush paint. Thiebaud lived in California for most of his long life, settling in Sacramento and teaching at UC Davis.

Wayne Thiebaud died on December 25, 2021 at the age of 101. The artist worked\xa0until the end of his life \u2014 he was 100 years old in August of 2020 when The New Yorker magazine featured one of his iconic ice cream cones as its cover image. \xa0We\u2019re celebrating Thiebaud\u2019s life with a rebroadcast of his 2005 appearance at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco where he spoke to Wendy Lesser, founding editor of the Threepenny Review. He talks about his early career, the artists he most admires, and his approach to teaching.