(Danville, California)

It was a bittersweet goodbye as a few hundred people gathered at the memorial service Wednesday for Danville Artist Phil Hellsten.

To say Hellsten was eccentric is an understatement. "Phil was quirky; we can say that in church," said Rev. Steve Harms. "He was odd!" The church erupted in laughter.

"He was a free-thinker who made people happy," Rev. Harms added. "He was the last of the Bohemians."

Several people mentioned Phil's love for painting politicians. Since this is a political blog, I have included his version of President Ronald Reagan, in the pixilated, checkerboard style for which Phil was famous. Similar paintings of Governor Schwarzenegger, John Kennedy, Jr., and Elvis were on display.

One artist talked about how Phil would do the political paintings in gray-scale, mixing and using 32 different shades on a spectrum from black to white.

The paintings are remarkable in that if you stand too close, they just look like a bunch of black, white and gray squares, with no discernible pattern. "You have to stand back enough to get the picture," said Phil's close friend John Barry, who said the artist was much like his work.

Another artist noted that Arnold Schwarzenegger was somewhat stunned when he saw his own likeness as created by Phil, but then autographed it!

One of those who spoke read a short note that Phil Hellsten wrote to himself on his birthday six years ago: "I love life. Life loves me. Everything is as it should be!"

Another artist wrote: "Phil is now painting with angels!" And so he is!

For more of Hellsten's artwork and coverage of his funeral, go to the "Danville Weekly" website: http://www.danvilleweekly.com/news/show_story.php?id=1727