Midpeninsulans here and there

Spring means the plein-art painters and photogs are out in force. (Try crossing Gamble Garden without tripping over a lens.) Local artists are also out exhibiting in many venues beyond the Midpeninsula. Here's a sampling:

* Several local plein-air painters are gearing up for "A Breath of Plein Air," an exhibit opening May 2 at the Leonard & David McKay Gallery in San Jose. Palo Alto pastel artist Mary Stahl is showing "Receding Bay Waters" (above), together with two other PA artists, oil painters Lin Ching Peng and Karen White. Other oil-favoring locals in the show are Agnes Derbin-Caulfield and Will Maller of Los Altos, Rebecca Osgood of Stanford, and Lucy Sargeant of Los Altos Hills.

* Visions of Tibet abound in the art of Los Altos doctor-painter Ming Jing (Mike) Wang, whom I profiled in the Weekly last year. He's currently taking part in a four-artist figure painting show at the Triton Museum of Art, called "Narrative Realities."

* Laurie Naiman of Palo Alto is in a show of 61 photographers at The Center for Fine Art Photography in Colorado. "Tired of Waiting," the photo on the center's press release, displays Naiman's signature witty style.

* And closer to home, Palo Alto itself is on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Italian photographer Gabriele Basilico has turned his lenses on several Bay Area cities. Our city of the tall tree is included in these celebrations of the American asphalt jungle.

Being Bette

Last weekend was the Odd Couple of movie weekends. For starters, Weekly film critic Tyler Hanley looked at me like I was nuts when I said I'd seen "21." Yes, it would be nice to get that 2 hrs, 3 min. back, but there were a few bright spots.

Kevin Spacey, bless him, could be fascinating reading a Menlo Park Planning Commission agenda. And the kid in the lead role, Jim Sturgess, nicely refrained from chewing the aces. I love an understated performance in an overblown flick. What I don't get is the appeal of Kate Bosworth. Blank face, vapid acting; the most interesting thing about her is the fact that her eyes are two different colors. Maybe she was just yawning at the script.

Why the Odd Couple of weekends? Because the second movie I saw was "The Man Who Played God," direct from 1932 to the Stanford Theatre and starring Bette Davis. Yes, some of the performances were dated and overwrought. Yes, the leading man, George Arliss, was apparently wearing lipstick throughout the entire film. It didn't matter. Arliss was sensitive and honest, and Bette Davis is always so natural and compelling that you hardly look at anyone else. You believe anything she says, are with her through every cliche of dialogue, and long to wear a hat like she does. On her, acting seems just like being.

The Bette Davis film festival continues through June 6 (that's what the Stanford's website sez at this point). Check it out. And while you're at it, imagine a dream film with Bette Davis opposite Kevin Spacey.

Photo from the Stanford Theatre's website, www.stanfordtheatre.org.