Daugherty's art is more than an illusion

By Roni Gehlke
For the Contra Costa Times

In our "Neighbors" series, we give you a personal look at the people who are serving your community. If you would like to nominate someone for this column, contact Judy Prieve at 925-779-7178 or e-mail jprieve@bayareanewsgroup.com.

For Brentwood artist Augustus "Gus" Daugherty, it was a natural transition from art collector to artist. For more than 20 years the retired computer systems consultant attended art shows and collected pieces that he liked.

"One day I saw something and said, 'I can do that,'" Daugherty said, recalling the time 12 years ago when he decided to switch from art collector to artist.

In his spare time Daugherty took art classes and learned different techniques in painting. Since then he has worked on various styles until he found his current art form: optical illusion art.

"About six years ago I was in Florida and saw this optical illusion art that really intrigued me," he said.

"So when I came home I started my own."

Daugherty describes optical illusion art as a painting or drawing that appears to move when you walk by it. His first piece, a 6-by-3-foot painting, took nearly a year and a half to complete.

Over the past several years, Daugherty has completed a series he calls the "Optical Illusion Series."

Each of the five paintings features cabanas on white sandy beaches with various people in bathing suits enjoying the sun.

His artwork will be featured at Brentwood's Fridley Art Gallery and Museum this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday. The gallery will host a reception for the artist on both days from 4 to 7 p.m. Wine and food will be served at the reception.

This will be the first time that the whole series will be seen together in a gallery setting, Daugherty said. One of the pieces was shown at an art gallery in Stockton earlier this year, and Daugherty participated the Brentwood home art tour last year where some of the paintings were displayed.

Having some carpentry experience, Daugherty taught himself optical illusion art. He uses wood to create the illusion of the art moving.

"I'm intrigued by watching people walk by the art and stop to look again," he said.

Daugherty explained that people catch a movement that they don't expect as they walk by, but really what they are seeing is the three-dimensional aspect in the artwork.

He also said that at different times of the day the lighting around the art can play tricks on the painting, leaving shadows like you would see on a real beach.

Retiring 10 years ago after a long career in the computer programming industry, Daugherty spends most of his days working on his art. In the mid-1960s, when computers were still considered science fiction, Daugherty was working for NCR Corp. and had the opportunity to move from his home in the San Francisco Bay Area to Dayton, Ohio, where he was trained with a group of people from all over the world to learn computer programming.

The program featured was geared specifically for hotel reservations and became the pilot system for the Hyatt Regency Hotels.

"When I came back to San Francisco to help the Hyatt install the program, they made me an offer I couldn't refuse," he said.

Daugherty was happy to come back home and worked for several years for the Hyatt Corp. before moving on to work for Bank of America and retiring.

 WHAT: Augustus Daugherty solo show

 WHEN: 4 to 7 p.m. reception Nov. 13-14; gallery opens on Saturday at 11 a.m., on Sunday at 4 p.m.

 WHERE: Fridley Art Gallery and Museum, 1185 Second St., Suite J, Brentwood

 COST: Free wine and hors d'oeuvres reception

 INFO: 925-783-2853