San Francisco Postcards 13

San Francisco Postcards 13

It is fun having a living routine in a city that is not ones’ home.  Monday is laundry day, car moving day, eating breakfast out, and art work.  It is a settle down to business after the weekend.  The weekend was pretty exciting because I went to the Folsom Street Fair.  I had always heard of it but never experienced it.  It was wild and crazy and probably something I would never attend again but now I have seen it all.

This pirate was at Fisherman’s Wharf in SF.  He was life size and I think I will do something more with him in iColorama.

San Francisco Postcards 12

San Francisco Postcards 12

The Castro Camera is the store that Harvey Milk owned in the Castro.  It is, of course, something else now but they still have the sign Castro Camera in the store window.

Fall has come to SF.  Blustery yesterday with leaves blowing about.  Just lovely!

Fishing boats at the Fisherman’s Wharf in SF.  Hmm!  Fisherman’s Wharf is so touristy.  I remember it as a kid and it sure has changed.

San Francisco Postcard 11

Two-fear Saturday....I did not realize that I missed Saturday.

San Francisco Postcard 11

I wish I could have a little pied-a-terre like I am staying in on this visit.  It is perfect for one person.  Two could live here for a short period of time.  It would be a great artist studio/retreat.

Cable car near Fisherman’s wharf.  It is the end of the line and they turn the car around on a lazy Susan type of mechanism.

San Francisco Postcard 10

San Francisco Postcard 10

I had the best day today.  I took a printing class at the SF Center for Book Arts.  We used magnets to create our plates.  I will be showing my work eventually after I photograph what I did.  I can tell you I had the best fun.  Kind of tired out and thinking a plate of spaghetti would be nice and then the couch with a good book or Netflix.

I was walking the streets and saw this little car with bowling pins sticking out the side.  The pins move in and out and shake the car.  I love that tow away is right on the curb.

San Francisco Postcard 09

San Francisco Postcard 09

I am frequently asked questions about when I travel how do I know what to bring to do art.  The simple answer is I don’t.  I usually bring too much and do not use most of it.  On the SF trip I brought ephemera but with no theme in mind.  I always try and find ephemera where I am traveling.  So I combine the two types, brought and found.  I finished postcard number 16 this morning.  I also am just a few books away from being two thirds towards my goal of 365.

Last night I had tickets to an ACT play.  I was disappointed and walked out at intermission.  I just could not get into the play.  It seemed disjointed to me.  Perhaps the second act would have tied things together but I did not hang around to find out.  Just before the play I was near the cable car terminus and there was no line.  I can’t imagine no line but that was the case.  So I hopped on and road to the top of Nob Hill.  It has been a long time since I road the cable cars of SF.  I remember when I was a kid that there use to be a woman selling violets on the back of the cable car.  No more!



 

San Francisco Postcard 08

San Francisco Postcard 08

There are so many neighborhoods to explore in SF.  Each one has a flavor all its own.  I went to a Mah Jongg meetup yesterday.  I drove because it was pretty far away.....30 minutes just to get there and then there was no parking, only one hour and a few two hour spaces.  Thank goodness I went early because to find a parking space I followed the M line until I found a neighborhood with unlimited parking on the street.  Then I took the M line back to Mah Jongg.  Next week I will just take the J Church line and then transfer to the M.  Much easier and I will see more things since I won’t have to drive.

I don’t know the name of this flowering plant.  Gorgeous!

San Francisco Postcards 07

San Francisco Postcards 07

I was on the bus Sunday heading to the SF Center for Book Arts as I wanted to see the steam roller printing process and I had to transfer to another bus.  I was at the corner of 16th and Market.  It is a very interesting place to be on a Sunday morning.  On opposing corners were evangelists with speaking systems preaching the gospel in Spanish.  It was quite the cacophony of noise.  I made the right connection and attended a great festival.  I had to do the reverse to get home.

Transferring at the same corner as before I discovered a third speaker system and a woman singing.  She had a great voice and she was drowning out the preachers.  A verbal fight broke out between one of the preachers and the singer.  Guess who won?  God!  As I left, the preachers continued with their sermons.  I guess that is all in a day in San Francisco.

Steamroller Printing Process

San Francisco Postcards 06

San Francisco Postcards - 06 

Saturday afternoon I sat in the Castro theater watching Downton Abbey, a great film that carries on the series from television.  The Castro is a piece of history.  I understand it had an organ once upon a time, but it is no longer there.  While waiting for the film vintage photos appear on screen.  How amazing to see the Castro district in its early years!

  

San Francisco Postcards - 05

San Francisco Postcards 05

Yesterday morning I cleaned up the apartment and decided as a reward I would go see Downton Abbey at the Castro theater.  The film was at noon and started right on time.  Just as the lights dimmed a group decided to sit in my row.  I had left the first two seats available but there were five of them.  Three crawled over me and two sat next to me in the two available seats.

All of a sudden I felt a hand pat my thigh and then this women handed me a bottle of water which I did not take.  I said to her after she said it is yours, “You are not speaking to whom you think you are!”  She said, “It is your water.”  I said, “I think you are mistaken.”  She realized then that I was not the person intended and she and her husband both apologized to me and crawled over to the others!  She must have been so embarrassed!

At the SF Museum of Modern Art

nt from my iPad

San Francisco Postcards 04

San Francisco Postcards 04

This morning I have been working on postcards number 06 and 07.  Now I am thinking that since I have completed through 09 that I must have failed to photograph one that I mailed to myself already.  So I will possibly just use the numbering system that I have on the address side and wait until I get home to publish the missing one.  I couldn’t have mis-numbered could I?

Today is laundry day and pickup around here.  I might go see Downton Abbey later this afternoon.  I am a fan of that show and it is going to be fun to see it as a feature length film.

Trans America Building SF 

Chinatown Gate SF

San Francisco Postcards - 03

San Francisco Postcard - 03 

If you have not been to see the Redwoods and plan a trip one day, make sure you drive the Avenue of the Giants.  The trees form a canopy of filtered light that finds it way to forest floor. There are trees right to the edge of the road in places.  I was reminded of the Star Wars film that was shot in the Redwoods.  I would actually like to know how they filmed that movie.  Maybe they set up the filming track on a road.  No matter, it is a natural spectacle that one can see over and over.

Big Tree

San Francisco Postcards - 02

San Francisco Postcards - 02 

I saw Cabaret my first night in SF.  The production was great.  I had never seen the whole musical.  The theater was small and intimate and the production was smooth and energized.  Good show!

I am working on postcards and books today after some shopping for essentials and moving the car once again.  This is sort of a game which I am calling hide the car.  Finding spots where one can leave it for a few days and then move it somewhere else are the rules.  The rules include days when the street cleaners come by.  The car has to be off those streets for a couple of hours.  Now that I know the rules it is a bit easier.  Finding open spots is the challenge though.  It took about 30 minutes today.

San Francisco Postcards - 01

San Francisco Postcards - 01

My art friend, Elsa,  gave me a great idea weeks ago.  Her suggestion was to make a postcard each day on my trip,  mailing them back home.  When I return I could then bind the postcards into a book.  I love the idea.  So I started creating once I arrived in San Francisco.  I started with the rule that something on my trip should be included in the postcard.  Since I went down the Oregon coast and through the Redwoods each of the first few has something about those places in the postcard collage.

I like the idea of having something realistic with the abstract.  I have mailed five so far and am working on the next four.  As I have been creating I still am including something significant about the trip but I am allowing myself a wide berth.  You will see what I mean as the series progresses.

On the address side of the postcard is a miniature photo of some site on the trip.  I have a Polaroid zip printer that does a fantastic job.  I use my cell phone to take the photos.  It all seems to be working well.

Date Due Series 12

Date Due Series 12

This is the last of the series.  I have more Date Due paper but thought twelve was enough for now.  I wasn’t sure I would like the division between the body and the head on this one.  I rather think it did turn out though.  The addition of the bird helps.

Yesterday afternoon at the last minute after making four postcards, I am catching up, I decided to treat myself to a film.  I saw Honeyland.  It was filmed in Albania and is the story of a woman who is a beekeeper.  Beautiful scenery and also life struggles.  It won an award at Sundance.  I recommend it.

Somewhere along the Northern California coast. 

Date Due Series 11

Date Due 11

Pouring in San Francisco this morning.  I think it is a good day to stay inside and make books.  I have a good size table, my art supplies, food in the kitchen.  I do not need to go anywhere although Tartine Bakery is close by if the rain ceases.

This is my view from the southeast corner of Delores Mission Park.  It is pretty crowded with sunbathers during the weekend days.  Not today though with the rain.

Date Due Series 10

Date Due Series 10

Went to my altered books workshop today at the SF Center for Book Arts.  Just great!  I walked away with so many ideas.  Too much fun but now I am tired and am going to read or just relax.  No television at this Airbnb.

This is the golden fire hydrant which is just across the street from where I am staying.  It is the fire hydrant that saved the rest of SF from the fire in the 20th century.  It is painted gold every year.

Date Due Series 09

Date Due Series 09

If the hills of San Francisco don’t kill me off before the month is up I think I will have accomplished something.  I went exploring this afternoon after checking into my Airbnb and found a deli.  I bought some pastrami.  When I came back to my place I had to park at the top of a hill.  I forgot the pastrami.  I had a class of wine and some cheese and then hiked back to get it!  This old man may be found on a sidewalk one day or the hill exercise program will do him some good.

Here is a photo that I took after I drove around the block and found a parking space so I could take it.

Date Due Series 08

Well, the image totally disappeared somehow....sorry.  So I doubt I can locate it again since I uploaded it at home....

I rather like how this collage turned out.  There seems to be a balance that works for me.  I am sure glad that I prepared some posts prior to leaving Seattle.  The process is easy when has images ready for publishing.

Here are two more photos from yesterday’s drive.  

Date Due Series 07

Two-fer Thursday.    I missed Wednesday altogether so this is my catch up collage.

Date Due Series 07

Tonight I will figure out how to send an image by email from my phone.  That way I can show you an image of the Oregon Coast.  I did it. :-)

Date Due 06

Date Due 06

It has been a busy week preparing for my month trip to San Francisco.  I left this morning at 5:00 and just settled into the motel.  It is 7:00.  It was a long drive but I am close to the California/Oregon border and will head to the Redwoods tomorrow.  The Oregon coast is just beautiful.  I have spent a lot of time on the coast but not the southern part of Oregon much.

Date Due 05

Date Due 05

The scan of this piece look rather flat to me and it does not to the naked eye.  I used a piece of fabric this time....the bottom of the collage.

Date Due 04

Date Due 04

In the next few days I will be creating a collage to honor a young girl who died of cancer.  Her mother wrote a poem about her daughter’s death that captured my heart.  To die so young is totally unfair and in the poem her mother expresses the emotion of living through this difficult time.  I will publish the poem on this blog perhaps.  I have to get the permission of the woman who wrote it and I am not sure when I can do that.

There are a total of twelve poems in the Date Due series.  I finished them all and bound them into one of my 365 books.

Date Due 03

Date Due 03

In my ephemera search within my studio I came across some circles that I had experimented on a couple of years back.  I had painted the circles with shellac and added watered down acrylic.  I then applied some images with matte medium.  Once the papers were dry I had great pieces but I just did not know what to do with them.  Now I do.  They are appearing in this Date Due series not as whole circles but in parts.

Date Due 02

Date Due 02

Creating five element collages is very comfortable for me.  It always feels right and complete.  I am pleased that I found the Date Due papers in an ephemera bag.  One forgets what one has in the way of collectibles.  It is like finding them all over again.

Date Due 01

Date Due 01

Everything for this collage was within arms reach.  I was given several Date Due cards, the ones that use to go in a library book.  What to do when I set the clock for fifteen minutes?  The pressure was on.  That is when things have to gel very quickly as this one did.

Double Pamphlet Stitched Book

Double Pamphlet Sitched Books

Over the past few days I have made five double pamphlet stitched books to house single sheets of the eco dyed papers that I created.  I used plant life from my garden and boiled the batches in alum, rust, and avocado pits.  I showed some of the pages a few days ago.

Artist Playing Cards - September 2019

Two-fer Tuesday.  Say that really fast.  I missed three days recently.  So this is my first catch up.

Artist Playing Cards - September 2019

Making these cards turned into being labor intensive but really fun.  First backgrounds were collaged to both sides of the rectangle.  Then volvelles were made.  A volvelle is a turning device made from Tyvek, a hole through the card, and two collaged, in this case, circles.  So this APC is a two-fer since it is double sided.  The labor involved was due to so many steps and to make sure both circles turn simultaneously.  I made 16 of them.

Eco Dye Paper

01 

02

03

Eco dying is tremendous fun.  The plant material used came from my garden and was randomly chosen.  The mordant used was rusty water.  I put alum in the boiling water and about a dozen avocado pits.  The papers were bundled with the plant material and submerged into the bath and "cooked" for almost three hours.  The absolute best ones were not unwrapped until the next day.  The shapes and colors were better than the one unwrapped the first "cooking" evening.