the appearance of things

Shinichi Maruyama: Gardens

2011-03-27T15:43:00.000-07:00

This series of paintings by Shinichi Maruyana is an impressive display representational of Zen gardens. "The Zen garden is the expression of boundless cosmic beauty in a physical environment, created through intense human concentration, labor and repeated action". These paintings express just that: capturing the essence of liquid, frozen in mid-air.

Maruyama repeatedly throws tempera paint into the air and photographs the results, then arranges the frozen actions in compositions that defy logical physics.

In doing a bit of research on this artist I came upon an earlier project, Kusho, in which Maruyama photographs sumi ink and water.

David Altmejd

2011-03-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

Entering Andrea Rosen Gallery last weekend I was instantly drawn into the large installations by David Altmejd. These large plexi cases were filled with plaster hands, heads, threads, insects, and precious gems... a strange, interesting and scientific mix of objects which ultimately formed a painfully detailed diarama of decay.

The subjects are less about death than the transition into something else, a transformation that seems to mimic a change from man to animal in a series of tunnels and almost vein like structures. These tunnels morph into one another and suggest a biological transfer of energy from human parts into nature; crystalized formations, insects, and infinite webs.

José Parlá: Walls, Diaries and Paintings

2011-03-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I visited Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery in Chelsea and was blown away by the work of José Parlá. His work is an exciting blend of textures, colors, memories and experiences of urban landscapes. Inspiration comes from Istanbul, Havana, Tokyo and New York, to name a few - documenting accumulated memories and experiences of these places he's been.

The layers which each piece are composed of reveal newsprint, street art & posters, thick paint and graffiti. Each reminded me of an urban setting that I may have seen at one time or another, the many beautiful cities, walls and alley's I've stumbled upon. To simulate the experience even further, he even painted an installation in the hall of the gallery, as if you are traveling through an urban alleyway.

I suppose it makes sense that I am drawn to his work, as his paintings are certainly reminiscent of some of my favorite artists: Anselm Kiefer and Jackson Pollock.

Metamorphosis

2011-03-13T17:48:00.001-07:00

This weekend I completed a new piece, "Metamorphosis", for the ArtSpan Benefit Art Auction to be held on March 26th. This is my absolute favorite art fundraising event of the year - it's always a packed house, lots of original affordable amazing art, with both live and silent auctions. I personally love the buzz of the live auction - so much fun to see the art enthusiasts get all get all fired up for the chance to own their favorite pieces.

ArtSpan Benefit Auction

Saturday, March 26th 2011

VIP: 6-9:30pm

Regular Admission: 6:45-9:30pm

SOMArts Bay Gallery

934 Brannan Street

San Francisco, CA

more info:

http://www.artspan.org/sf-open-studios-benefit-art-show-auction

Jennifer Trask: Intrinsecus

2010-10-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

The final and absolute favorite artist which I discovered at The Dead or Alive Exhibit was Jennifer Trask. This wall installation made from a found 19th century Italian wood and gold leaf frame uses bones, teeth, antlers, silver and gold leaf to create a completely organic and absolutely beautiful piece of art. This installation, Intrinsecus, refers to the Dutch tradition of Vanitas, which is Latin means “emptiness”, and loosely translated corresponds to the meaninglessness of earthly life and the transient nature of vanity.

What's even more interesting is that she is formally trained as a jeweler and metalsmith. I can see how that has transcended into using natural objects to create something so intricate.

These "flowers" are actually made of rattlesnake vertebra.

Tessa Farmer: Little Savages

2010-10-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Two artists I saw at the Dead or Alive Exhibit were so compelling I felt they deserved their own post - Tessa Farmer being of of them. The attention to detail in her sculptures is impeccable. Each tiny scenario has a crazy amount of detail which is hard to even make out with just the human eye alone. Her background working in a Natural History Museum and entomology inspires her work - which I suppose is why I am so drawn to these spooky little scenes.

This series is called "little savages" - quite fitting...

Her work, made from insect carcasses, plant roots and other found natural materials, comprises hanging installations depicting battles between insects and tiny winged skeletal humanoids.

Dead or Alive: Nature as Art

2010-10-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

During a recent trip to New York I had the pleasure of stopping into the Museum of Arts & Design for a much anticipated show - Dead or Alive: Nature Becomes Art. Naturally I was drawn to this exhibit because of it's focus on organic materials which were once produced by or part of living organisms - feathers, bones, egg shells, insects, fur, antlers, dried and rotting plants. Once-living parts of flora and fauna were recombined and rearranged into works of art that address the transience of life, and examines beauty in the extreme.

Here a large cascade of 1000's of pigeon feathers emanate from one of MAD's signature glass bands that cut across the gallery ceilings (Kate McGcwire)

Levi van Veluw’s photo series are self-portraits, drawn and photographed by himself: a one-man-process. His works constitute elemental transfers; this youngest artist of the exhibition uses his own head and shoulders as a canvas on which to build natural landscapes.

Some favorites were the skulls by Jan Fabre which use actual Jewel beetle, click beetle and ground beetle shields on synthetic material to create these beautiful sculptures. The texture and colors of actual beetle shells are just amazing, I could look at them for hours.

ArtSpan's ArtLaunch 2010, Saturday Oct.2nd

2010-09-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

I recently completed this piece which will be showcased in ArtSpan's SF Open Studios kickoff event ArtLaunch 2010 (formerly The Private Preview Gala) on Saturday, October 2nd.

Featuring over 430 original artworks by SF Open Studios artists, all work will be on sale and will take place at the SOMArts Gallery, 934 Brannan Street at 9th Street. Tickets are available to registered SF Open Studios artists and members for $35 in advance / $40 at the door and to non-members for $50 in advance / $60 at the door. ArtLaunch 2010 will stimulate your creative side with an interactive art project, an open bar with Pernod Absinthe cocktails, fun eats by Thomas John events, music, and a 5% discount (up to $50) for members on the original artwork for sale. The show will run through the end of October.

What: ArtLaunch 2010
When: Saturday, October 2nd. 7-10pm
Where: SOMArts, 934 Brannan Street @ 8th
More info: info@artspan.org 415-861-9838

Official Site: http://www.artspan.org
Buy tickets: http://artlaunch2010.eventbrite.com/

Bar 821 in NOPA

2010-09-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

I was invited by Bar 821 to be part of this years 9th annual Divisadaro Art Walk which was held this past September. The Art Walk held in NOPA - from Geary to Haight - is held quarterly, and the event’s tone is much more casual, with a younger, more alternative clientele, and overflowing with community pride. In addition to the community galleries presenting the latest artwork from neighborhood artists, many bars and restaurants also participate in the festivities by curating their own art shows, including Bar 821. My work will continue to be on display through the end of October, and we will hold an artist reception sometime near the end of the month, so stay tuned!

Bar 821

821 Divisadero (btwn McAllister & Fulton)
San Francisco, CA
open 5-11pm daily

SOMA Spring Open Studios

2010-04-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

Stop in at my Open Studio this weekend at:
Clara Street Studios
185 Clara Street
(off of 5th street between Folsom & Harrison Streets)
Saturday & Sunday, April 17-18, 2001
12noon - 6pm

Please join me this weekend for Spring Open Studios. For the past few years we have been organizing a spring event in addition to the fall, but it's never been that well attended or publicized. Artist Mike Kimball and myself have taken it upon ourselves to organize over 100 artists in the South of Market neighborhood in order to create a larger artist network and sense of community, making our fellow artists more accessible to the public. It has been a work in progress, and this year I feel as if we are finally seeing the results that we've been looking for.

The addition of Arc Gallery to our neighborhood has been an integral part of creating this sense of community and has acted as a catalyst in identifying SOMA as an emerging artist mecca. Last Friday's Spring Open Studios Preview Reception at Arc was a HUGE success, bringing in over 500 guests. The energy at this event was amazing - a wonderful mix of San Francisco's finest mingled in our gallery while a full on temporary food court assembled on Folsom Street outside the gallery, including Pizza Politana, a mobile neapolitan wood-fired pizza oven.

I am particularly excited about this springs event because Mike and myself have worked so hard the past few years to get our group on the map, and it has been extremely satisfying to see all of our hard work pay off. Please come on by and check out over 75 artists in our neighborhood this weekend and see what all the buzz is about!

SOMA Spring Open Studios Preview Exhibition

2010-04-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

Please join me at the SOMA Spring Open Studios Preview Exhibition this Friday.

View artwork by myself and over 65 artists working and exhibiting in San Francisco's diverse South of Market neighborhood at the Opening Reception of the SOMA Open Studios Preview Exhibition.

Friday, April 9th, 7-10pm
ARC Studios & Gallery
1246 Folsom Street
(between 8th & 9th streets)

www.SOMAOpenStudios.org
Official facebook invitation

The evening will feature some of the neighborhoods finest: Fresh fired oven pizzas from Pizza Politana, baked treats from Cups & Cakes Bakery, Hansen's Sodas, MetroMint Water, and aneighborhood favorite - Blue Bottle Coffee. There will also be wine, but feel free to BYOB!

Public showing also on Saturday, April 19th, NOON - 6pm.

This show will be held in the newly opened and renovated ARC Gallery (formerly New Langton Arts), a great new SOMA space and resource, featuring 10 newly renovated artist studios, rental art gallery, & art education center. We are proud to make this new space a "home base" for our artists and hope to grow our community.

As our 4th year officially holding an organized SOMA Spring Open Studios, we are confident that this will be our biggest year yet - and hope to see everyone out at the studios the following weekend! More info to come...

Deb & Michael's Ketubah

2010-03-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

I finally have some images to share of the Ketubah that I created for a friends wedding this past fall. The text is surrounded by acrylic painting and has a resin finish. (resin was applied after the bride and groom signed on their wedding day)

A Ketubah is The Jewish Marriage Contract, and is a tradition in Jewish wedding customs and in Jewish history. The Art of the Ketubah entails a unique document known as a marriage contract that outlines marital responsibilities and, at the same time, is set into an artful background.

The ketubah is signed by two witnesses and traditionally read out loud under the chuppah. Close family friends or distant relatives are invited to witness the ketubah, which is considered an honor. I couldn't have been more excited to be such an integral part of this very special day, and was my most intimate and personal commission yet.

Marks by Aaron Nagel

2010-03-08T23:23:00.000-08:00

Later Saturday we moved on to the opening reception over at White Walls and Shooting Gallery. Aaron Nagel, from Oakland, displays his show, Marks, at the Shooting Gallery. 11 pieces showcase stunning women which are portrayed as Catholic martyrs. Although most are penetrated by arrows, the women seem unaffected, if not calming. The black paint dripping from the women's hands represents a guilty past. What freaks me out the most was to find that Nagel is entirely self taught. His work is absolutely stunning - I couldn't get enough.

SOMA Saturday

2010-03-08T22:57:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I take this little city of ours for granted - after living here for 10+ years I forget how many treasures are hidden around each corner, underground gatherings, unique experiences that only one can really experience in this utopia we call our home - San Francisco.

First stop, 31 Rausch Gallery for my friend Adam Wier's photography show: I got 5 on it.

While searching for this tiny gallery which I had never been to or even heard of - We stumbled upon what appeared to be a large garage/warehouse one block over, with a line of people down the street and around the parking lot next door. At first I wondered if this was the show, and thought to myself that I might not be cut out to wait in this line. I didn't have to - I found out that this was San Francisco's "Underground Farmers Market". Apparently this venue where you can taste the food that is being made in the kitchens of our fair city - and it moves around from month to month. The reason why? To sell at a farmers market, you need to produce your creations in a commercial kitchen. This is an impossible expense for many people, so the underground farmers market lets home producers get their products into the light. These are veterans, people who’ve been making their products for years, but only able to share them with friends.

Amazing! All these folks waiting in line for the underground Farmers Market, on a Saturday night, 10pm. Back on track to find Adam's show.... Finally arriving at 31 Rausch. It's essentially... a hallway. However what's so great about it is that it's a non-profit art space with everything priced under $200, and artists can take 100% of the sales. As an artist, that is a concept I can get used to. This encourages artists peers to purchase art, and the artists to create experimental work.

I got 5 on it: The show is explained:"Rambling around the finite physical world, photographer’s visions are bound to cross paths, intersecting across time, space and intent at touchstone subject matter. We've called a group of 20 photographers back to 5 such seminal subject crossroads. A chair, a flower, a window, a tree, and the road; these are subjects we have found our way to, in our own way, on our own way".

It was a fantastic concept - all artists presented the same 5 subjects. The show could be viewed by subject matter or by artist, creating two completely different viewpoints of the work and forcing the viewer to examine more than meets the eye.

Urban Forest

2010-02-21T21:37:00.000-08:00

While walking to work down Market Street the other morning, I came upon this beautiful installation just past 6th Street. In what is an otherwise bleak and fairly depressed area, this little urban oasis brightened my day.

A Recent Trip to Puerto Rico

2010-02-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

A recent visit to Puerto Rico was the perfect way to start off 2010. What I realized about taking a trip first thing in January is:

1. work is notoriously slow that time of year anyway

2. creates a positive outlook for starting off the new year

3. clears the mind of holiday madness just passed

4. traveling this time of year is cheap.

Therefore, this very well could have started a new tradition for me.

During the 8 days we traveled the island, we hiked through rainforests, swam in waterfalls, explored beaches and surf towns, slept in treehouses in the middle of a bamboo forest, endured some rainfall, enjoyed the PR beach scene, ate copious amounts of seafood, and drank from coconuts. Lastly, traveling with a local was a definite plus and allowed us to experience some of the local flavor we may have otherwise missed.

VIN12's HOLIDAY SOIREE: POP THE BUBBLES!

2009-12-02T23:05:00.000-08:00

WAGNERPAINTINGS and VIN12 PRESENT: POP THE BUBBLES!: Champagne, Prosecco and Sparkling Wine

Please join me at The Solarium for VIN12, San Francisco's most popular monthly wine event, for an evening of fantastic art, fabulous wines, and good friends. I will be showing some brand new smaller work, priced reasonably, perfect for holiday gifts.

Browse artwork while tasting over 50 different wines by select VIN12 producers from throughout California.

Tickets are $25, and include access to the event, unlimited wine tasting and food provided by local SF restaurants. Please purchase your tickets online at: http://www.vin12.com/
or at the door. Feel free to email me for additional information.

When: Thursday, December 17, 2009

Time: 5:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: 55 Second Street, San Francisco CA

Info: www.vin12.com or facebook

8th Annual Open Studios

2009-10-26T22:47:00.001-07:00

I am proud to have just participated in my 8th Annual Open Studios. This was our 3rd year at Clara Street Studios, featuring 5 great artists: Jerry Veverka, Jackson Fahnestock, Nif Hodgson, Ellen Heck and myself. As always, it was an amazing weekend and great to be part of a show with such talented artists. Despite the economy, we had a very good turnout with a constant flow of guests, and the feedback we received about what we are doing over at Clara Street was very positive. We look forward to doing it again next year!

Rich Jacobs at White Walls

2009-10-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

The same night, next door at White Walls was the opening for Rich Jacobs and Albert Reyes. I will always love these giant graffiti style heads of Rich Jacobs - I remember seeing these ever since I've been here... so when I see them - I think San Francisco.

Terrestrial Syndrome

2009-10-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

I visited the opening for Terrestrial Syndrome at The Shooting Gallery in San Francisco the other weekend and was blown away. I loved the paintings by Kevin Taylor, his large scale oil on wood paintings were so well done. What I found most intriguing is how the creatures he portrayed were not animal, but not human - almost a combination of the two. The way the creatures interacted with one another reminded me of Hieronymus Bosch, one of my favorite painters from classical times.

The show also featured artist Eric Otto, who uses more recycled materials and found objects to portray images of destruction. I particularly liked this installation, the different sizes and shapes all clustered together with the use of geometric shapes and warm colors was extremely effective.

Patrick Dougherty

2009-08-17T23:28:00.000-07:00

The other day I was headed into City Hall when I noticed these structures up in the trees right in the plaza. It immediately brought back memories of college in Ann Arbor and how the the same, twisting nest houses greeted me as I entered the Diag, and I could wander my way through them. This time they are up in the trees, floating above the tree line, as if they had fallen out of the sky. I was so happy to see them, almost 15 years later.

Patrick Dougherty has been creating these environmental sculptures since the early 80's, some are more complex than others - I personally love the more simplistic forms - as if they somehow formed themselves.

His latest installation will be found in Connecticut, at the Florence Griswold Museum.

Flora Grubb

2009-08-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

For most of us living in San Francisco, Flora Grubb is a household name by now. She has a beautiful nursery in SF which has an abundance of rare, exotic plants, succulents, and palms. No matter how much I see or read about her, I cannot help but get completely inspired each time I visit the gardens or see a new project somewhere... her work is absolutely beautiful. I adore the composition & texture of her "living art" made of succulents. (And anyone who has been to my house knows I have a certain obsession with succulents - maybe because it's the only thing I am successful at growing...?)

Recently I paid a visit to the nursery and found my new favorite project: the Vertical Garden in a Woolly Pocket. Apparently they are inexpensive (probably not the one featured here), lightweight, and can go indoors or out. Even more - they are made out of recycled water bottles. What is there not to like?

Third Annual UofM Alumni Show

2009-07-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

Last week I visited Michigan and paid a visit to Ann Arbor and The University of Michigan. The Art & Design School holds an annual Alumni Show each year, which I have been participating in since the beginning three years ago. This year I was lucky to have attended the show and to see all of the great artwork in person. It was so fun to see so many alumni - graduates from so many years ago through recent - all coming together for this event. This year I was fortunate to win a "People's Choice Award".

Spring Open Studios

2009-05-11T00:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend was Spring Open Studios in SOMA. Slowly over the years the artists of SoMA are putting ourselves on the map. It's nice to have consistent participation from a core group of studios in the area. Although I went on a solo mission this weekend and was the only artist in my building participating, a surprising amount of people made it by to say hello. It's always a bit slow when you go it alone, but I find it important to continually open my doors whenever possible in order to heighten awareness of the artist spaces in our neighborhood and keep people coming back. More importantly, it is a great chance to get together with friends and hear feedback on current work. Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

working on some new collage pieces here, incorporating influences of scientific illustration

Dana Harel: Kin

2009-04-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

I accidentally stumbled upon this artist, Dana Harel, the other day while walking past Frey Norris Gallery in downtown San Francisco. I was instantly drawn in by the large scale, very intricate, and extremely scientific nature of these drawings. Upon going inside, I learned that this artist was actually trained in Architecture originally, and her precise draftsmanship eventually evolved into this. She seamlessly combines human hands with various animals, and the barriers between human and nature become quite blurred.

ArtSpan Auction

2009-03-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who made it out to support the ArtSpan Benefit Auction. Given the state of the economy, there was an amazing turnout. For the first couple of hours there was a line out the door, and we packed the house. The live auction portion was a huge amount of fun as usual, (featuring yours truly as a live auction runner!) with some very active bidders and all artwork sold! The Auction continues to be a very successful and extremely fun event each year that I am happy to be a part of.

Ginkgo Gallery

2009-03-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

The Nature of Art

2009-01-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

The goal is to break things down in to the most basic of elements. Nature, object, anatomy & composition. The development of these objects in relation to one another, yet somehow find a way to make each of them integrate into one another. Inspiration is drawn from the simple elements which we find in nature, yet rarely take the time out to enjoy.

The famous novelist, Ayn Rand, responds to the question: "What does art do?" by answering: A concept is a mental integration of two or more units which are isolated according to a specific characteristic and united by a specific definition.... The act of isolation involved is a process of abstraction: i.e., a selective mental focus that takes out or separates a certain aspect of reality from all others.... The uniting involved is not a mere sum, but an integration, i.e., a blending of the units into a single, new mental entity which is used thereafter as a single unit of thought.

Isolation and integration are the core processes involved in both concept formation and artistic creation.

development for a new year

2008-12-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a new series of collage type pieces. These incorporate ink, collage taken from pieces of old textbooks such as botany, meteorology, anthropology, etc., and drawing. It's been nice to get back into drawing and the scientific side of things.

Academy of Sciences

2008-12-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we visited the new California Academy of Sciences Museum in Golden Gate Park designed by Renzo Piano. It's great to see such a nice example of a green building - The Academy is now the largest public Platinum-rated (highest LEED rating) building in the world, and also the world’s greenest museum. Inside the museum houses a planetarium, aquarium, natural history museum and a 4-story rainforest.

The coolest part of the museum is the 197,000 square foot "living roof", growing native California plant species. The plants are kept from sliding off the undulating slopes by using 50,000 porous, biodegradable trays made from tree sap and coconut husks as containers for the vegetation. These trays line the rooftop like tile, yet enable the roots to grow and interlock, binding the trays together like patchwork.

The more typical black tar-and-asphalt building rooftop leads to a phenomenon called the “Urban Heat Island” effect. The endless swath of black rooftops and pavement trap heat, causing cities to be 6 to 10 degrees warmer than outlying greenbelt areas. One-sixth of all electricity consumed in the U.S. goes to cool buildings. The Academy's green rooftop keeps the building's interior an average of 10 degrees cooler than a standard roof would. The plants also transform carbon dioxide into oxygen, capture rainwater, and reduce energy needs for heating and cooling.

Salk Institute

2008-11-29T13:39:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I was in San Diego for work and paid a visit to the Salk Institute in La Jolla. The institute is housed in a modernist complex, designed by Louis Kahn. The structure consists of two symmetric buildings with a stream of water flowing in the middle of a courtyard that separates the two. The buildings themselves have been designed to promote collaboration, and therefore have no walls separating laboratories on any floor. Apparently Salk had sought to make a beautiful campus in order to draw the best researchers in the world - I think he probably succeeded!

"Hope lies in dreams, in imagination and in the courage of those who
dare to make dreams into reality"

a beautiful day in san francisco

2008-11-16T17:02:00.000-08:00

This past weekend in San Francisco was absolutely beautiful. It's days like these that make me very fortunate to live here, especially when it's snowing back in Michigan... Walking along the Embarcadero has always been one of my favorite pastimes, the views never get old.

Richard Serra

2008-11-02T17:21:00.000-08:00

Today I came upon some pictures I took about a year ago while celebrating my 30th birthday in New York City that I felt were worth sharing.... I was walking past the MoMA and saw the dis-assembly of the Richard Serra show (which I had seen a few months previous). Seeing the giant minimalist sculptures out of context, being lifted by huge cranes was really quite beautiful.
(Serra is a sculptor (born in San Francisco!) that is best known for working with large sheets of CorTen steel.)

SOMA Open Studios

2008-10-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the past 7 or 8 years, I have been participating in Open Studios every year with mixed results. I have held it in my home and at various art studios/spaces which I've rented. Doing it on your own is difficult since many visitors seek a group venue, and moving around from year to year makes it hard to grow a "following". Finally two years ago I opened Clara Street Studios, found several talented and motivated individuals to share my vision with, and was able to create a venue that finally fulfilled my dream of creating an artist community of my own.

This weekend was SOMA Open Studios. We held it at our studio on Clara Street for the second year in a row and had an amazing turnout. We have been very fortunate to get 5 very talented artists together, as well as a huge gallery space for hanging our work. Even with the state of the economy what it is, there were twice as many people as we had last year, and I heard such positive feedback from our guests. It was so inspiring to finally have an impact and become a sought after venue in the South of Market community.

To everyone who made it out to support our work, the arts, our community and Open Studios, my sincerest thanks go out to you.

Migration

2008-10-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

The show I wanted to see in Chelsea was Doug Aitken's Migration show at 303 Gallery. And so happy we made it, it was definitely the high point of the trip. Migration is a video installation projected on 3 large plasma screens. The imagery was so vivid and surreal, it was totally compelling to watch.

Aitken takes scenes from modern roadside hotels, which appear to be completely abandoned and vacant, and shows North American migratory animals transposed in the spaces. What follows is some amazing cinematography showing anything from owls, to horses to bison in these rooms, and even better - what these creatures will do in such a space when left alone. While sounding a bit strange, the film is beautifully and artfully put together with an almost voyerestic approach to watchcing a lion playfully tearing the blankets off a bed in slow motion, or a beaver taking a hot bath.

a look at the large video screens

mid-west

Ernesto NETO

2008-10-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

During a visit to Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in Chelsea, I stumbled upon a show by Ernesto Neto that I found really interesting. Neto constructs organic sculptures from interlocking materials such as wood, steel and acrylic. A lycra "skin" is sewn around the entire structure, and makes an almost vertebrate structure, creating a feeling as if you are walking through a large animals stomach. What I enjoyed was the scale, and social interactive nature of the sculpture, where viewers can walk through and experience the work themselves.

The New Museum NYC

2008-10-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

During a recent visit to New York I was finally able to check out the New Museum on Bowery, designed by Tokyo-based architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa/SANAA. A simple facade makes for a nice clean design. Unfortunately the work inside was my least favorite thing about it. I highly discourage visiting the Elizabeth Peyton show!

San Francisco Bay

2008-10-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

Just an interesting look at some clouds the other day while crusing along the Embarcadero

vines

2008-10-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

Bali Bliss

2008-10-13T18:36:00.001-07:00

Spending two and a half weeks in Bali really opened my eyes. A culture that bases it's religion around karma is one that we can all learn something from. In a third world country, where the majority of it's residents are poor and making close to nothing, they seem like a pretty happy and content group. I've never been a tourist anywhere (let alone living in my own city of San Francisco) where I've felt as safe and welcomed by the residents. With no locks on the doors, open air restaurants and shops, there appears to be no theft and little crime, which is such a completely foreign concept for me.

The Balinese practice Hindu Dharma, which is a blend of Hinduism, Buddhism and Animism (ancestor worship). Indigenous beliefs are clearly seen in the belief of natural elements and of the ancestors. Nature is viewed as "power" itself and each of its elements is thought to be subjected to spirits. These must be taken care of, provided with a shrine, fed with various offerings made from agricultural products and given respect. There are few societies in the world where religion plays a role such as it does in Bali, and it is apparent through the incredible beauty and color that accompanies the rituals and offerings, which seem to be ever occurring.

Frida Kahlo

2008-10-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

I just made it to the closing day of the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the SFMOMA. While of course the show was fantastic - It was also a pretty great retrospective on her life - I didn't actually know Frida had such strong links to San Francisco. She and Diego Rivera were actually married at City Hall in SF. These are a few of my favorites...

Graphic Tokyo

2008-09-21T21:56:00.000-07:00

Everywhere you look in Tokyo you find something beautiful - the attention to detail, care and workmanship is unprecedented. I was fascinated just walking through the city, noticing things that you just can't find here in the states. There is no graffiti or vandalism - beautiful materials can be used without worry of being destroyed. Smoking isn't allowed just anywhere on the streets, you need to stand in a "smoking zone" - and people actually do it, not to mention I didn't see a single person jay-walk. There is no garbage on the streets (and barely any trash cans as far as I could tell), no homeless people, and virtually everywhere felt safe. It really makes you think about what is going on back here and why we can't have behave just a little bit better.

Yoyogi Park

the concrete work is beautiful

takeshita dori, so many people, such a tiny street

salmon treats, the food courts were stunning

vending machines for everything and anything

ginza church

one of the private rooms at Shunju Tsugihagi, (designed by super potato)

A new perspective on Tofu

2008-09-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

I felt the need to document a lunch experience we had while in Tokyo. One afternoon we dined at Tofuya Ukai, a very authentic looking (but actually only a couple of years old) tea garden type of structure which sits below the iconic Tokyo Tower and specializes in Tofu dishes. While coming across as very intimate, this restaurant actually seats 550 people. We were sat in a private tatami room and began a 9 course, 3 hour lunch that was truly unforgettable. Besides being delicious, the presentation was absolutely stunning. Here is a recap of what we had the pleasure of sampling that day.

Boiled tender abalone & eggplant.

crown daisy boiled spinach

sake

deep fried tofu with scallions & sweet miso

simmered crab & fried tofu ball

sashimi sampler of maguro & mackerel

shrimp, fried chestnuts, mystery fruit

shiba braised pork berry

grilled barracuda sushi

bean soup with tofu

fried shrimp & fish meat dumpling

rice cooked with taro

peach jelly

Tokyo Architecture

2008-09-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

Tokyo's architecture has an interesting mix of old and new, contemporary and traditional. The sheer number of retail stores alone is astonishing, and there is no shortage of flashy, high end stores throughout the city.

Mikimoto by Toyo Ito

Cartier

De Beers

Prada by Herzog & DeMeuron

Dior

TSUKIJI

2008-08-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

Tsukiji has got to be one of the most intense markets I have ever seen. I am not even sure how large it is, but there is fish as far as the eye can see. To experience the freshest sushi around, one must arrive at 5am and proceed to get into a line for one of the small sushi bars lining the perimeter of the market. Recommended to be the best, we arrived at Daiwa, a small 10 seater sushi bar that will serve you a fixed price breakfast for $35/person, sampling a tasty selection of their best fish. Somehow eating a full sushi meal at 6am and washing it down with a Sapporo didn't seem all that strange.

TOKYO

2008-08-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

Friday we arrived in Tokyo. After a 9 hour flight, we find ourselves 16 hours ahead of San Francisco. Staying in Shibuya, we are located in the center of the action. Two blocks away from the hotel is Hachiko, world's largest pedestrian crossing, and Center Gai, a pedestrian street lined with everything imaginable, and more people than I've ever seen all in one place at the same time.

In progress...

2008-08-16T16:40:00.000-07:00

Getting close to finishing the new series of ginkgo's....

Be An Artist

2008-08-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

ICHTHYO

2008-08-03T01:01:00.001-07:00

When I was in college studying Scientific Illustration, we visited and had the "basement tour" of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, and I remember being completely fascinated with the rows upon rows of specimens. Jars of large reptiles in liquids, skeletons of every animal imaginable... I could spend hours in those rooms. These are the moments that inspired me to become an artist, and to make sure that I never left the art of science behind.

Chronicle books has put out the book Ichtyho, a collection of black and white X-rays of fish from the Smithsonian, which holds the world's largest collection of ichthyological specimens. The imagery is absolutely beautiful.

california wildfire

2008-07-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

A new series of ginkgo paintings has been inspired by some of the amazing sunsets I've been seeing this summer. Unfortunately the reason behind these intense sunsets is that most of the state of California is on fire. The wildfires cause hazy skies, but pretty intense orange/yellow sunsets that can be actually quite beautiful.

Summer in New York

2008-07-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

Ah, summertime in New York. There really isn't anything better.

Although Jeff Koon's balloon dog wasn't my favorite artistic statement, drinks in the sun on the Met rooftop made it worth the trip.

Waterfalls vs. The Gates

2008-07-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

This past week in New York I explored The New York City Waterfalls installation by Olafur Eliasson. His series of freestanding waterfalls in the East River is the city's biggest public art project since Christo and Jeanne-Claude's "The Gates". I have to say this project wasn't nearly impressive as The Gates, which I was also lucky enough to witness the opening day of while visiting New York several years back. I guess I do not see enough of a real connection between the art and it's environment in this case.

This particular waterfall is the one under the Brooklyn Bridge (above) - there was one more to the right of it, and another closer to where I was standing (below)

There are 4 different waterfalls which are visible from multiple points around the city, and I took the entire day finding each waterfall for optimal viewing. I'd say the more interesting part of this was the adventure of finding them and interacting with the city, rather than the waterfalls themselves. Although I would have liked to see them when it was dark out... that may have been a bit more impressive.

The Gates had a much bigger impression on me, probably due to the scale of the installation and being able to experience them all at once. Equally impressive was the amount of material that went into the project: 5,390 tons of steel and 9,155 square meters of fabric, which was assembled in a 25,000 square foot Long Island facility, then shipped to Central Park. However, my favorite part of the project was actually the sketches they created, really beautiful.

Deep

2008-07-19T15:26:00.001-07:00

I finally managed to make it to Bend, Oregon to see one of my art projects complete. These large scale photos were installed in the restaurant, Deep, downtown. This series reflects upon the logging industry that used to be prevalent in the area.

view from mezzanine up above, looking down on water feature -

Crater Lake

2008-07-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

Over Fourth of July weekend I traveled to Crater Lake in Southern Oregon on the crest of the Cascade Mountain range. Ever since seeing vibrant images of this place, I've been wanting to see it up close. The lake lies inside a caldera, created when Mount Mazama collapsed 7,700 years ago following a large eruption.

I was surprised to learn that Crater Lake is the deepest in the United States, and the seventh deepest lake in the world, with no inlets or outlets to the lake. I've never seen water so blue! There is still heavy snowfall here, even in July.

The colors of the lake were absolutely amazing, with perfect reflections of the mountains in the water. Great inspiration for some new paintings...

Art Scene in ATL

2008-07-07T22:48:00.000-07:00

How cute is this work. While browsing for some artists in Atlanta, I came upon Jeremiah Ketner's work at a gallery called The Alcove. I love the playful and carefree nature of the subject.

HANG Anniversary Party

2008-07-07T22:43:00.000-07:00

This artist Liz Maxwell at the Hang Anniversary Party caught my eye. Very beautiful drawings.

SOMA lady

2008-06-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

It amazes me that people just randomly 'graffiti' our city with these scenes. Never knowing how long it will last, if it will be destroyed in a day or in a year, and probably illegal. But so impressive nonetheless. Under an overpass near my house, we walked past this new little piece of art.

Summer Solstice

2008-06-22T01:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 21st: The Summer Solstice. Soaking in those final moments of sun ... Watching it set over the water ... This is by far my favorite time of day. This light this time of day makes everything seem so warm and calm. Unfortunately this moment comes and goes all too quickly.

Bark or Ancient Script?

2008-06-22T01:11:00.000-07:00

I can't help but think this looks just like the writing in my paintings...

Hotel Creek Trail

2008-06-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

Day 3: This would be our longest hike, the Hotel Creek Trail, which was 8 miles roundtrip and a 1,200 climb in elevation in the first mile, reaching an elevation of 5,600 feet at the top. This strenuous hike switch-backed through chaparral to a forested ridge at the top with breathtaking views of the Canyon and mountains beyond, still snowcapped.

We encountered rattlesnakes, rubber boas, and only one other couple hiking the trail in a 4 hour period. We continued back on the Lewis Creek Loop, passing a large area which was burned in 1980, one of the largest fires the park had experienced in recent years. We passed through varied landscapes of pine woods, manzanita bushes, meadows, open grassy hillsides and moist streamways.

Beauty is in the Details

2008-06-22T00:53:00.000-07:00

Although the parks are so huge and vast, much beauty lies in the details. The environment in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park is amazing for it's diversity. Because of the low canyons, high mountains, varying temperatures and climates, you can find over 1,500 species of plants here. The intense, vibrant colors and textures is exactly what I need for inspiration.

Mist Falls

2008-06-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

On Day 2, we met a trailhead at Road's End for a journey to Mist Falls on the South Fork Kings River. The hike was 8 miles round trip and tunnels through riverside forest, rises on granite slopes to gain views of 10,007 foot Avalanche Peak and a granite pinnacle called the Sphinx. Half way through the trial the Kings River plummets 45 feet forming Mist Falls. Just before reaching the falls, large flat granite boulders form close to the water and made an ideal place to stop for lunch, admire the view, and sun ourselves for a bit.

Summertime

2008-06-17T22:55:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of getting out of San Francisco in the summer is the chance to actually experience summer. While there are many things I love about the city, I could do without the foggy summer months and hats and scarves on 4th of July. A sky like this fully reminds me of growing up in Michigan, the outdoors, warm summer evenings, surrounded by trees, the smell of campfire.

Zumwalt Meadow

2008-06-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

Day 1: After driving about an hour on the Scenic Byway into the park and passing below 8,000 foot granite walls, our road dead ended at "Road's End". Kings Canyon is the deepest in North America, even more so than the Grand Canyon. We camped only a few miles from Road's End, which was a beautiful and isolated campsite, and started our exploring on the Zumwalt Meadow trail. The 1.5 mile loop offered views of 8,518 foot Grand Sentinel and 8,717 foot North Dome, the trail bordered by clear river pools and vibrant ferns. We had the meadow to ourselves.

Kings Canyon & Sequoia National Park

2008-06-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

Finally - a trip out of the city provided a much needed break and amazing surroundings. Located in the Southern Sierra Nevada - about 5 hours southeast of San Francisco - Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Forest have an amazing variety of mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, and dense forests, with elevations ranging from 1300 to almost 15,000 feet.

John Muir once said this valley was grander than Yosemite.... which seems about right to me. The most surprising and plesant part of this trip was the lack of people in the park: Our campsite was half empty, easy to find an isolated area. Not a soul was seen during our hike to the top of a mountain. Bears roamed the hiking trails freely. No masses, tour buses, tourists. It was amazing.

Scientific Illustrations

2008-05-26T22:16:00.001-07:00

getting back to my "roots".... these are some illustrations I did on wood panels with ink. It has been nice to get back to some of the old school techniques from college.

Doze Green

2008-05-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

I noticed a new mural the other day while on the corner of Haight & Steiner Streets - The mural on the right was painted by Doze Green, one of my favorite "street artists" - his career started in the subways of New York City in the 7o's. This piece is over 15 feet tall and is said to represent the goddess serving to protect and guide.

Inspiration Is All Around Us

2008-05-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

Inspiration: n. A sudden exciting thought, Divine guidance and motivation imparted directly. (to be inspired)

On any given day, at any given time, we can look around us and find something that intrigues us, makes us look twice, gives us an idea. Sometimes we are not inspired enough - other times - too much.