Boston artist leaves paintings in S.F. for free SAN FRANCISCO Boston painter on a family visit adds message to his gifts, hoping that times are going to get better

Bren Bataclan's cheerful cartoon creatures have been exhibited in some high places: at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, in Logan International Airport and even on a Girl Scout patch.

But lately he's been leaving his artwork outside unemployment offices and closed-down retail stores across the country bearing the note: "Everything is Going to Be Alright - This Painting is Yours to Take."

"The economy is so bad now. People are losing their jobs, so this is how I can help," said Bataclan, 39, as he propped an acrylic painting of a horned creature with googly eyes and fangs next to an Embarcadero BART ticket machine on Friday.

The Boston artist stealth-deposited his canvases throughout San Francisco over his holiday family visit, in places such as the Financial District, where he figured he'd find a concentration of economically stressed-out people. He wants to give away 30 of his artworks, which sell for anywhere between $95 and $400, by Wednesday.

His artistic twist on paying it forward allows Bataclan to fight the recession funk, bring art to gallery outsiders, and live out his fantasy of being a graffiti artist without actually defacing anything.

"I am expressing myself and helping others at the same time. That's a pretty good combination," Bataclan said.

Since 2003, he's left 400 free paintings in 20 U.S. cities and 20 countries. On his Web site, finders pose with his creations and tell how his work brought them cheer. Strangers open up to him about their chemotherapy, their bankruptcies, their failing marriages.

Preschool teacher Linda Gossage plucked one of his artworks from the Embarcadero BART station. She plans to hang it in her classroom at Sunset Co-op Nursery School.

Graphic designer, 29 year old Yusef Beckles admires the art he found at the Powell Street BART station in San Francisco. Boston artist Bren Bataclan left his bold, smiling cartoon-style paintings free for the taking on Friday, January 2, 2009. He attaches a note to each saying, "Everything is Going to Be All Right." It is his way to brighten people's days in this recession. less Graphic designer, 29 year old Yusef Beckles admires the art he found at the Powell Street BART station in San Francisco. Boston artist Bren Bataclan left his bold, smiling cartoon-style paintings free for the ... more Photo: Michael Maloney, The Chronicle Photo: Michael Maloney, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Boston artist leaves paintings in S.F. for free 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

"I've heard about this artist before. I can't believe I actually found one his paintings!" she said. "I'm going to tell my students about this - it's a perfect example of sharing."

The buzz Bataclan has created acts as his public relations arm - much in the same way Keith Haring launched a career as one of the country's most sought-after muralists after he anonymously drew chalk cartoons in the New York subways in the 1980s.

Bataclan's name has begun trickling from the art magazines and blogs to the mainstream media, and he's getting enough commissions to pursue his art full time. His murals dot schools, hospitals and libraries throughout Boston.

It all started with the dot-com bust. After working at several design firms and teaching computer animation at the University of Massachusetts, Bataclan found himself out of a job in 2000. He returned to his childhood fascination with doodling, and decided to show his cartoons at the Cambridge Open Studios event. He sold 49 of 56 works.

Delighted, amazed and giddy, he decided to thank Boston for patronizing his art by leaving free paintings around town with a note asking only one thing in return: to smile at strangers more often.

Since 2003, the Smile Boston Project has taken him around the world. Wanderers have found his paintings at the Eiffel Tower, on park benches in Japan, at Graceland, along the canals of Venice, in penguin territory in Antarctica, on a cafe table in New York.

"I never in my life thought I would be doing this full time, but it's the best job I've ever had," Bataclan said.

A newlywed who adored, but couldn't afford one of Bataclan's paintings of a husband and wife later found the art piece on a park bench. The first person to take a free Bataclan had just had her first chemotherapy treatment.

Teenagers Josh Cabrido and Kyle McCurdy of San Jose plan to decorate their dorm rooms with the paintings they found in the Embarcadero BART station.

"I've seen things like this on the Internet - where people post hopeful messages about the economy," Cabrido said. "I'm definitely going to go on his Web site and see what this guy is all about."

Yusef Beckles, a San Francisco graphic designer and self-described "guerrilla artist," was deeply touched that another artist gave him a personal work for free.

"This," he said, holding up the Bataclan painting he found in the BART station, "is the most precious and true thing an artist can do."

Artist's Web site Everything is Going to Be Alright Project www.bataclan.com