June Felter

June Felter

Respected artist June Felter died at home on July 13, at the age of 99, with family by her side. Born and raised in Oakland, her paintings are in museum collections, including SFMOMA, the Berkeley Art Museum, and the Oakland Museum of California.
Born October 19, 1919, her parents died when she was very young, and she grew up in the Tom and Grace Scanlon family. She became a fashion illustrator, who later created war bond ads. Before the war, June discovered skiing in the Sierras, where she met future husband Richard Felter. They were together until his death in 2000.
In the 1950s, inspired by California Figurative painters approaching reality with the freedom of abstraction, June studied with Richard Diebenkorn, and became a colleague of Elmer Bischoff and Wayne Thiebaud. In her landscapes, nudes and complex still-lifes, June's work was admired for its graceful spontaneity. She taught art to children and figure drawing to adults at SFMOMA. Her etchings are featured in the book "Why Draw a Live Model?" by Kathan Brown. The gallery "871 Fine Arts" represents June's artwork.
The 1991 Oakland Firestorm destroyed the Felter home and studio, with hundreds of paintings and drawings. June photographed the fire while madly collecting artwork, family photos and Dick's 8mm films, before escaping in a friend's small car. Later, she made paintings of the fire.
June was warm hearted and empathetic, with a playful sense of humor. She will be missed by son Tom, his wife Ann and grown children Elizabeth and Gregory, and her daughter Susan and husband Bill. June will also be missed by her cherished boyfriend, fellow nonagenarian, Wally King, and by her wonderful caregivers. Friends may donate to a cause they would be proud to tell June about.