Florence Brass

Plein Air Painter

As you step out of the foggy, damp beach air and into Bodega Bay’s Local Color Gallery, you may be greeted by one of the owners, Florence Brass, who exudes warmth and makes you feel like an invited guest. This 50+ woman is compelling. When you meet her, you want to get to know her better.

Upon a recent visit, I picked up her bio. It stated that she spent her career as an advertising executive in the fashion industry in New York City. I love hearing about transitions in women’s lives, and I knew that there must be a very interesting story when a NYC gal is now painting in Bodega Bay! So, last month I met Florence for lunch and discovered that indeed there is.

Florence was the quintessential career woman with a career in advertising that spanned over five decades. She thrived on the creativity, fast pace and excitement of the advertising industry. And, although her clients were primarily luminaries in the fashion world, the agency had many other high profile accounts. For instance, she was responsible for introducing the properties of both 3M’s Velcro and DuPont’s Lycra to the retail world. She is a self-professed “non-June Cleaver” type of Mom, but her sons swear to this day that she made the absolute best sandwiches ever!

At 50+, Florence felt she needed to make some dramatic changes in her life and moved from New Jersey to NYC. Although, she had worked in the City for many years, she had always commuted. A friend, who owned an advertising agency, that she had known for 30 years but had lost track of, had tracked her down and he asked her to dinner. She was quite reticent, but one and a half years later, they were married.

At his agency, they were a great team as well: she as Creative Director and he on the business end. But, after her husband’s death, she felt it was time to sell. One of the conditions of the sale was that she stay on for another three years to help smooth the transition, which she agreed to do.

For 25 years, Florence had regularly visited Sonoma County’s Bodega Bay to visit her son and had fallen in love with it. With an eye to retirement and a dream to return to her painting, that had been on hold for over 40 years, she took a place in this small coastal community and commuted back and forth to NYC for that three years.

The draw of the ocean is strong. And, for Plein Air painters like Florence, California’s Sonoma county is alive with endless and varied beauty. In addition to the ocean and famous coastline, there are the gorgeous vineyards that change with the seasons, majestic redwood groves, vintage Victorians, farmhouses, and barns, the wineries themselves, lakes, mountains, meadows, and more.

Florence told me that some of the best years of her life started at 60 and are still going strong. She is a complete inspiration…smart, interesting, current, talented, fashionable, fit, and in love with life.

As I drove away that day, I was high. Through Florence’s generosity in sharing her time and life story with me, the bar was raised. She knows the secret to being timeless. What I learned from Florence is that whether you are 50+, 60+, 70+ or even 80+, it is crucial to: fill your life with work and people you love, continue to contribute, be active in your community, challenge both your mind and body, and cultivate your sense of humor.

At this holiday season, I feel I’ve received my gift early.

Visit Florence on-line at the Local Color Gallery or stop by the Local Color Gallery in Bodega Bay.