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Have You Seen This Painting?

By Christine Weaver | March 8, 2019 | Point Richmond, CA |
Painting of tall ship with all sails set
Jim DeWitt painted this canvas in 2016. “Square riggers were efficient downwind sailing ships, used for cargo or warfare during the Age of Sailing, from the 16th through the 19th century.”
© 2019 Jim DeWitt

Last week, this 30″x30″ oil painting sailed right out of its frame and disappeared over the horizon. We suspect the tall ship had a pirate at her helm. Actually, scratch that. “Pirate” makes the thief sound glamorous. This canvas was hijacked by a lowlife burglar. “A painting was stolen from the hallway at 125 Park Place in Point Richmond where I have my frame shop,” says Pam Delaney, the daughter of artist Jim DeWitt. “We think this happened Thursday morning” of last week. The Richmond police dusted the frame for prints on Sunday. “The person who did this took the painting out of the frame.” Pam asks that anyone who has seen the painting call her at (510) 206-0720 or email her at [email protected].

Officer printing frame
The Richmond PD lifted prints from the frame the thief left behind.
© 2019 Pam DeWitt Delaney

The artist, Jim DeWitt, was born in Oakland in 1930. He has lived and worked in Richmond since 1960. Jim operated a sail loft there for many years, but his passion for sailing has always included art. He studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts and at the Los Angeles Art Center in Pasadena. His paintings have graced galleries and museums worldwide, including the Sausalito Art Festival. Pam runs a custom frame shop and sells originals and prints of her dad’s artwork. We can’t remember an issue of Latitude 38 that hasn’t included something of or about Jim, be it a painting, an ad for sails, or a race report.

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