This was the subject line from an email from Vanya Akraboff. (We had lost touch since the early ‘90s when I ended my freelancing as a layout artist for Vicm/FCB, where Vanya was an art director.)
I had found her address and I reached her by snail-mail and gave her a link to Geezers’ Gallery.
1/29/25, 6:40 PM
Subject: flash from the past
How lovely to receive your letter! Yes, still in Sausalito. I just spent lots of time on your very entertaining blog. I am so fortunate to have had a truly fun, satisfying career with so many creative – in all ways — people.
It brought back many memories. People, pranks, attitude, campaigns. I saw several that I worked on – Aleve. The Neutrogena layout on your site is one that gave me a scare when it was up on my wall and Lester was in my office and asked ‘Did you do that’ – anyway, a longer story.
SOOO cool that you’re doing this. If you’d like I could send a photo and brief message as to what I’ve been doing since retirement in 2018 from Giant (world travel, yoga, hiking, yada yada).
Hello to Dick as well.
Vanya
1−30−25 4:01pm
I wrote:
On the one day, that I didn’t open up my email!
I was just prepping lunch and Richard read your letter aloud.
The Geezers started, as you might have seen in the site, in 1993 at Bob
Buechert’s ranch. The members were mostly from the ADASF and Communicating Arts memberships. It was a huge membership list. But it is not dropping too fast now, as “youngsters” are joining.
What was the Neutrogena scare? I would love it if you could tell a lot of your career, as well as, what you are doing now. Do you have printed samples or other visuals to show?
So glad to have reached you,
Vanya,
If you don’t have the original of the photo of “‘you and your pedestal” you should have my copy. Maybe we could add it to your story.
Annie
1−31−25, 7:15pm
From Vanya:
Well, this is fun! I fondly remember your theme parties. For a ‘wild west’(?) party, a friend loaned me much of his black leather Folsom Street Fair outfit – chaps, tie, cowboy hat, long gloves. The next year’s theme was Greek? Roman? – the all white one.
I’ve attached various things below, do with them whatever you wish.
Here’s material for my ‘what I’m doing now’:
Location Sausalito
Retired from Giant Creative Strategy, which now has a different name, as SVP Creative Director in 2018. In 2002 a few ad guys that I’d worked with ages ago at Vicom (where I met Ann Thompson!) and FCB Healthcare started their own agency.
I’d taken a few years off while I painted and exhibited in a few juried shows, but joined them at their fledgling agency when they called. I spent 15-years there and am grateful for having a very enjoyable creative career and working with great people.
I retired a bit early to see what else I was.
Now I hike, practice yoga, volunteer at an art center, hang with friends, but my true passion is travel. A couple of trips to north and south India, twice to Africa (Morocco and sub-Saharan), and several to Southeast Asia, plus Oceania and Japan, South America (Chile, Argentina, northern Patagonia), and recently Peru and Ecuador (Machu Picchu and the Galapagos). In the spring I’ll be rafting, hiking and camping under the stars in the Grand Canyon for the third time – the first two trips were accompanied by a string quartet.
And yes, I have a cat.
Here’s a recent photo, in the Sahara last spring.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -
Here is my first painting that I sold.
Lester story:
Lester Barnett was alway very gracious to me and I considered him my mentor. He did scare me once. I had taped a layout for a Neutrogena ad I’d come up with to my office wall. I entered my office to find Lester standing there with his hands clasped behind his back closely examining it. When I greeted him he was quiet. When he finally turned around he said ‘did you do this?’ in a serious voice. I nervously copped to it. He said something like ‘it’s good’ and left.
Annie I’m pretty sure that you did this illustration for me when I was the Art Director for the launch of Aleve. We photographed the kayaker, in a brand-color yellow on the brand-color blue bay just down the hill from my house.
2−7−25 5:29pm
I wrote: Hi Vanya,
I have been distracted from this project, but I wanted to say that I love your painting and could you have more to show?
I think for this post — - I will show the 4 parties in our backyard, with maybe a “Where’s Vanya?” challenge.
Annie
2/10/25, 7:02pm
Vanya wrote:
Sure, I’ll send a few more paintings in the next couple of days–
Haha ‘Where’s Vanya?’
2/10/25, 7:04 pm
Vanya wrote:
Oh yes and there was the Indian theme party! I attempted to make Indian food and wear something Indian-ish and I think I even applied a bindi. Such great parties you had!
2−12−25
Hi Annie!
Thank you for liking my paintings.
I was surprised when I first exhibited at the Sausalito Art Festival at the urging of my realtor and people actually bought them. I was especially pleased that most of the buyers were women.
Here are a few more.
When I retired I bought all new painting supplies thinking I would take it up again. (I’d lost everything when my house burned down in 2011). I tried painting for a few days but realized that I’d rather be out in the world.
2−13−25
Hi Vanya,
These painting are great! We just saw the closing show at the deYoung of Tamara de Lempicka, where ( know it was Art Deco, but…) arms and legs looked like stuffed sausage! Your paintings show lovely shadowing on real human anatomy.
Who knew of this talent of yours? Were you painting while you worked as an art director. What years? Timeline?
When we read the last line of your previous email, we said, ”Good for her.” in our very envious way.
Your talent can be there, after your travels, waiting for you.
Annie
2/17/25 5:23 PM,
Vanya wrote:
Thank you! You’re very kind. I enjoyed the Lempicka exhibition and learning of her avant garde character. I took a few evening classes at the SF Art Institute in the 80’s, then in 2000 took more classes there and seriously painted and exhibited for two years while I didn’t work after marrying my stockbroker (a mistake) and while designing and building a house (now sold). More than you probably need to know! Life is good now.
Dick Moore and I offered these parties for our graphic friends with August and September birthdays (and their friends) who applied their creative skills to their costumes!
—-1986 “The British Raj Bash”
—-1988 “ The Wild West Party”
—- 1989 “The Mediterranean Montage”
—-1993 “The Orient Excess”.
So, Where’s Vanya?
Vanya is In each of these group shots, below.
Vanya has already written above describing her costume for three of the parties.
There are 3 small inset photos as clues: (Note, Vanya’s pedestal dangling from Vanya’s wrist !)
These Birthday Parties were successful because everyone, like Vanya, contributed to them with their own creativeness.
Ann Thompson