SONO BY CHRISTOPHER MARTIN HOFF Tragic.
  • SONO BY CHRISTOPHER MARTIN HOFF Tragic.

Christopher Martin Hoff, the young plein air painter you'd see set up all over the city with his easel, has died.

David Martin met the artist when Hoff moved to Seattle more than 10 years ago. They used to catch up at Martin's gallery, Martin-Zambito, when it was on Pike Street, one of Hoff's favorite working locations. Martin said he spoke to the family, and that Hoff's death was a surprise, but that he died at home of natural causes.

Hoff's Facebook page today is overflowing with comments that echo what Martin had to say about the young artist: "It sounds corny, but I just want to say that I thought he was one of the finest young painters here in Seattle, and he was one of the sweetest, nicest, most genuine people I’ve ever known, and I really mean that. I know people say things like that when people die, but he really was an excellent person, too."

This is awful. Click here and here to see what we'll be sorely missing from now on.