Curtis Dalton – Batik Artist with a Flair Extraordinaire

One Sunday morning as I was sitting in my booth at the Oakland Artistans Marketplace at Jack London Square, Curtis Dalton appeared.  A long-time batik artist at the Marketplace, he greeted me with a huge grin and a story.  Just the day before, he’d missed the sale of his life.  Arturo Sandoval, the renowned Grammy Award-winning Cuban musician, was strolling through the Marketplace.  Displayed in Curtis’ booth was a man’s dress shirt adorned with the vibrant image of the puffed-cheeked jazz treasure, Dizzy Gillespie.  Mr. Sandoval wanted that shirt!  He proceeded to tell Curtis that Dizzy was responsible for discovering and bringing him to the United States.  In homage to the great trumpet master and friend, Mr. Sandoval wanted to wear Curtis’ shirt on stage at Yoshi’s that evening.  Then came time to try it on.   Though the shirt was already roomy, fitting the robust contour of Mr. Sandoval was a struggle.  It was a squeeze that just wasn’t meant to be.  No sale.  As Curtis finished the story, his grimace was enough to make us both groan in agony. 

You win some and you lose some.  But the retired 36-year railroad worker never hangs on to the big fish that got away.  Such is the flow of life that Curtis Dalton has etched out for himself.

I visited Curtis at his beautiful home which he shares with Geneva, his wife of 36 years.  Tucked away in a remote pocket of Richmond located on the edge of the San Pablo Dam Reservoir, in contrast to my Oakland neighborhood, I couldn’t help noticing how quiet it was—a  sanctuary conducive to Curtis’ lifestyle of jazz, meditation, bonsai and art.  Downstairs in a corner of his garage, is Curtis’ studio where he spends most of his week creating wearable art and wall hangings from wax and dye.  

I asked him how he discovered his talent as an artist.  It all began about 5 or 6 years ago, when Curtis took a course given by his church.  On the first day of the course, the participants taped blank sheets of paper to their backs.  Each person was instructed to write a word or two describing their impressions of each other.   “Omniscient,”  “wise and knowledgeable,”  “strong,” “courageous,” “generous,” “pensive and patient,” “kind-hearted”, “in touch with the universe.”  Such were the revelations that were passed onto Curtis’ back.  Participants were then asked to do two things they’ve never done before.  Curtis, being one who is “patient, wise and courageous,” challenged himself to replicate his favorite Bob Marley T-shirt, which just happened to be a batik.  Not an easy task for one who had never dabbled in art!  With determination, perseverance and study, Curtis jumped into the world of dye and wax and completed his first Curtis original, one-of-a-kind T-shirt.  He presented it as a gift to his instructor, and launched his new career. 

Now hooked, Curtis created more and more T-shirts, spending weeks and months experimenting with his new passion.  Some pieces he kept, others he tossed.  Each was patiently put through a grueling week-long process of wax on, wax off.  He describes the process as “intense,” one which is very difficult because the final piece is nearly impossible to predict.  The wax may crack too much, the colors may loose their integrity, or blend into the wrong places.   One shirt may take 6 to 9 layers of dyeing and waxing before the final step.  The final step is to place the piece into the “ju-ju pot” to gestate for 4 to 6 hours.  The “ju-ju pot” is a steamer which Curtis made himself.  Why the name “ju-ju pot”?  Because Curtis never knows what will emerge.  Whether it’s a keeper rests solely in the eyes and heart of the artist. 

The self-taught artist believes that having “prestigious credentials” is not the main ingredient to making and teaching art.  However, three years ago, he decided to enroll in art classes at Contra Costa College.  Though initially intimidated by the other students, the teachers were always encouraging, and Curtis realized he had already learned, on his own, many of the theories presented.   He recently acquired his first art student.  As a volunteer for the City of Richmond’s “Elder’s Actualization Project,” Curtis currently teaches drawing to an in-bound man.  Whether teaching art or meditation, Curtis does not let his students take the easy path.  He believes in a regiment of daily discipline and practice, the blueprint which provided the solid foundation for his own success. 

At the weekly Oakland Artisan Marketplace, Curtis enjoys showing his work and sharing the camaraderie with the other artists and craftspeople.  “Being at the Marketplace, I’m constantly inspired to try new things, to elevate my craft, and not just sit on my hands.”   He’s since expanded his offerings to include other styles of clothing and silk wall hangings.  The creative process is a good feeling.  But, in the long haul, Curtis smiles and says, “I can’t think of a better feeling than when I sell one of my pieces!”  And even if it wasn’t to Arturo Sandoval, Curtis is still grateful. 

Judith Kajiwara is an artist with the Oakland Artisan Marketplace, where she sells her handcrafted, one-of-a-kind polymer clay angels.  She can be reached at angelsbyjudith@yahoo.com.