click the image below to see the year in review. cheers!
Fear and Loafing in Mexico
I made the mistake of reading the U.S. State Department's travel warning for Mexico. Its description of random kidnappings, bandits and brutal murders nearly derailed my visit to San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico. Friends assured me I would be safe so I went ahead with travel plans. What I found in San Miguel de Allende was surprising. Let's face it - mexico gets a bad rap. Reports of violent drug-related crime has tainted our view of the entire country. In reality my most brutal encounter in San Miguel was a bad coin toss that cost me the luxurious master suite in our rental home.
If you haven't heard, San Miguel is pretty magical. No sidewalk sales pitches for tourist trinkets or condo timeshares interfered with daily walks around the quaint cobblestones streets. Food was fresh and reasonable. The locals, both mexican and foreign, were friendly and helpful. Even the bus to Guanajuato was refreshingly fun, complete with large reclining seats, wifi and a bagged lunch. Greyhound take note: this is how bus travel should be.
Summer Slacker
It's been an amazing summer in the San Francisco Bay area. Sunny, clear, warm and, honestly, not very conducive to long hours holed up indoors. So this past weekend, despite feeling guilty for skipping the studio, I decided to enjoy the ideal weather while it lasted. Saturday I went to Nostalgia Days in Novato. It's mostly a venue for classic car enthusiasts to show off their goods, drink some beer, hang out and talk shop. I showed up early when the light was good, camera in hand, ready to take photos just for fun.
And it was fun...really fun. I saw some amazing vintage cars and met some great guys, who proudly explained restoration details, engine horsepowers and paint jobs. I took photos until my battery died and managed to get some nice images. I won't use them in my artwork, but a day shooting without an agenda was just what i needed to feel creatively rejuvenated!
Better Than Bacon
Determined to get to the donut shop before they ran out of the maple bacon variety, I was racing through the Mission district of San Francisco. I noticed this sign pointing to a side street and I had to stop. What an amazing combo of words and graphics.
Later in the studio, I used colors inspired by the pink and red plastic bags used in Chinatown...a little added touch of San Francisco.
Oh, and by the way, never got the bacon maple donut...had to settle for the chocolate cardamom, which was just as good!
Artist photo hand printed over layers of acrylic paint on canvas. Original work sold and is in private collection. Available as fine art print on paper, canvas or acrylic.