Jane Blethen, whose nickname is "Dakar,'' moved to the Bay Area from Minnesota sometime in the 1960s and studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute. She moved to Bolinas around 1980 and took up residence in the bushes.
Her erratic speech, unusual wardrobe and choice of habitation at first attracted the attention of local bullies, but the rest of the town soon adopted her as one of their own. A local rock band called "Don't Kill Jane" was formed in an attempt to spread the word that their lovable loner was off limits.
Blethen now walks around with a burlap headband and strips of burlap tied around her legs. Her face is a mask of smeared dark brown chocolate. Grains of pepper form speckles on the chocolate, like glitter.
"She's definitely a character's character,'' said Erik Festin, 68, of Bolinas, who used to give her rides and take her out for toast and coffee. "Her message is really pretty simple: 'take care of the animals and preserve the beauty of the place.' "