Charles W. Hess was born on April 5, 1921. He died on January 6, 1998, having survived the destruction of their family home in the Oakland Hills Fire in which much of their art works were destroyed along with his massive collection of rare Lithops cactus plants called “living stones.” I was fortunately enough to met Charles Hess once in his lovely home in the Oakland Hills before it burned down in the Oakland firestorm of 1991. I did not take a camera or photos because this was in about 1990 and I did not get my first digital camera until 2001. I wish I had taken photos. Leta Hess was the wife of Charles Hess and she was also an artist. They did this show retrospective in 1985 before Leta died from smoking related illness in 1986. I have the book from the show and I have scanned the cover to post along with this blog entry.
University Art Gallery, UC Riverside, Riverside, California, 1985. Paperback. Condition: Fine. Softcover in illustrated wraps. First edition. Catalog published to accompany an exhibit of the paintings of Leta English Hess and Charles Hess in 1985 at the University Art Gallery at the University of California, Riverside. Most plates in color. 47 pp.
Charles Willard Hess and Leta English Hess Art Show Book
Macy Makes Magic 