David Remfry's Artisitic Rhythm

ABOVE: Gallery owner Victor Arwas gave Remfry his first show in London. Remfry captures an intimate moment the night Victor and his wife, Gretha, got engaged. BELOW: Remfry's vision of a night at the Latin American Ball at the Chelsea Arts Club in London comes to life in this watercolor on paper.

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Suffice it to say, Stanley received his back rent, and he and Phyllis, an analyst, forged a friendship with Remfry and Hansberry spanning more than five years. The Bards, who also own a home in Boca Raton, "danced" for Remfry over the course of two years.

"We like Latin American and romantic music, and just danced and talked, and acted naturally," Stanley says. "David makes it very easy to do that. He's a delight to dance for. He has a knack for capturing people in these moments where it just shows their feelings."

Phyllis loved posing for Remfry because it gave her and her husband a chance to dance — a rare opportunity for two very busy professionals. Married for 13 years, the Bards share a strong connection that the paintings reveal.

"I think when you look at the paintings, you can feel the connection; that we are together," Phyllis shares. "Sometimes you see people who are isolated, but we're sharing energy; we're connected in a very intimate way. I always felt safe at David's studio; that we could concentrate on whatever we were doing. It didn't matter what David heard. He's such a beautiful soul that it wouldn't matter. He has that effect on people. He sees into your heart and your soul."

Remfry feels privileged to witness such vulnerable exchanges of emotion. "I revere the way people are with one another," he says. "Those moments of genuine love, which have become more and more important to me. I feel privileged to be able to see this. I want to be able to pass on this feeling of sorts. The older, I get the more I'd like to contribute; do something positive."

A true visionary, Remfry says that he sees the quality, look or moment he is trying to capture before he paints it. "It's something I already see that I want to try to elicit. I'm drawing from the minute they come in. I'll usually get the figure to move over and over again in the way that I want, so the repetition shows me how it goes most often or naturally," he says. He also takes pictures from time to time to freeze-frame an image he has in his mind.

ABOVE: "The Way the Men Dance" provides a composite of the subtle ways in which men dance. "It's a side I found quite funny," Remfry says.

Victor and Gretha Arwas also posed for Remfry over several months, which resulted in over 20 paintings of the couple. "Posing for David was an extensive experience," Victor says. "We met for an evening once a week, during which time we posed, sat, stood, chatted and, of course, danced. David put on various types of music, and disappeared behind a huge sheet of paper. We assumed he made many drawings, but he could have been doing crossword puzzles. He also took many snapshots. The intimacy of these sessions certainly contributed to the way Gretha and I felt, and we got engaged as the end of these sessions approached. We looked very happy because we were very happy."

Though Remfry prefers to know his subjects, he has been struck by a total stranger, such as when he spotted a Latin American girl dancing with a patron at a restaurant. "I thought she was so perfect, so I asked her to come dance for me," he says.

When asked what makes a subject "perfect" for painting, he maintains that he knows it when he sees it, though he can't define it in words. "Even the most conventionally beautiful don't always have it; but others that are really quite old may have a spark; that sort of life force that some people emanate. You're always drawn to their energy; feel better in their presence. That is something I'd like to convey."

Ever-content with his medium, Remfry admits he would like to delve into other areas such as sculpture. One thing, though, is certain. "I don't ever see myself being a landscape painter. There's simply too many people and too little time," he says.

For more information on the upcoming exhibit, call the Boca Raton Museum of Art at 561/392-2500.

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