Mission: Mission
Back from a quick drawing mission to the Mission. Head down around 24th or so and there’s a great patch of old Victorians. The structures here haven’t been restored out of their original character. Signs of renovation are everywhere – but you can still find plenty of carved bay windows and romanesque doorways.
I really enjoy sketching the old fashioned power lines strung everywhere. I’m sure there’s no reason to be nostalgic about power lines – but they do give your sketches a real urban feel :)
Hibernia Bank
Here’ s my contribution to this Saturday’s World Wide Sketchcrawl! I took the opportunity to re-visit one of my favorite buildings on Market street, the Hibernia Bank. It remains as gothic and distressed as ever. Crown jewel of the Tenderloin.
If you’re visiting the city, it’s a short walk on Market west from the Powell street BART stop, between 6th and 7th. Right across from the Market Street Cinema. (Which is not the kind of cinema you might expect).
I see some new plywood up on the windows, and could hear some crashing and banging – so perhaps renovations are finally underway. I hear the intent is to create a new set of high-end shops. It’s perhaps a bit ambitious right now, seeing as the immediate area is a little urban blight-ish, and there are many recently empty storefronts in the higher traffic areas towards Embarcadero.
I’ve drawn here two or three times before – I want to finally get a drawing of this building that I really love before it becomes a Gap or something equally silly. It really needs to be a public library or an art gallery or something suitable! Here’s hoping.
Trinidad, CA
Driving up the coast of northern California. I’d heard the town of Trinidad was the place for amazing tide pools. We seem to have come at the wrong time, or at the wrong beach or something – but we did find this scenic view. I couldn’t resist this towering rock with the miniature forest on top. It’s like a giant Bonsai garden. There’s some incredible forest around this area as well. Intensely overgrown, fern covered, mossy. I’m going to have to head back and do some more painting up there. I tried a few sketches, but for now, I was defeated by the dense forest. Sometime soon I’ll head back and take a second shot :)
Bad Unkl Sista
My second time at Bad Unkl Sista’s Metamporphica drawing event. Impressive mythic costumes, contortionist modern dance, beautiful models, and live music! It’s a great evening of art. [ Linkage: busstopgallery.blogspot.com – badunklsista.com ]
Oakland’s Cathedral Building
Originally the Oakland Federal Building, this Gothic revival flatiron lords over the intersection of Telegraph and Broadway. It’s definitely the princess in a neighborhood full of fascinating architecture. It was a sunny spring day today – but I felt this marble tower deserved a standoffish wintry feel. I’m glad we made it over here before the foliage returned. Now I feel like I’ve been to New York for the day.
The House on Masonic
Sketchcrawl! (Belated)
Finally! It’s not raining when I have a chance to draw!!!!
I couldn’t make this past Saturday’s sketchcrawl – so I met up with a friend the next day, and we did a mini-session. Here’s a couple drawings from Haight Street.
Metamorphica
Bad Unkl Sista is an experience. They’re a mashup of Butoh without the depression and couture without the haughty. However you try to classify them – what they are is art, imagination and drama. Oh and humor, sex and silliness. And they put on a hell of a drawing event. Here’s some sketches from last night’s Metamorphica.
Return to the Dickens Fair
I spent this afternoon drawing with some friends at the 31st annual Dickens Fair. This is the second year we’ve gone (Check out last year’s sketches. I’m getting faster!)
Every year around the holidays seemingly hundreds of people turn out in Victorian Era costume for a gigantic event. It’s half party, half trunk show, half interactive theater – and it’s packed wall to wall with outrageously good costumes! These people really take their craft seriously.
Here’s some sketchbook pages – just a glimpse at the variety.
There are pirates, rail barons, fortune tellers, carolers, street urchins, admirals, dancing girls, hussars, chimney sweeps, Turkish merchants, deep sea explorers – it just goes on and on. My favorite has to be the Dark Garden corset makers shop – they have models holding 10 and 20 minute poses in their windows all day long – sketch artists couldn’t ask for a better show :)
SFO Daytime Landing
It’s urban sketching from 6000 ft :) Here’s the view as you come into SFO airport.
Ok ok, it’s not really a location sketch. Yes, it’s from a photo out the window. But hey – it looked just like that.
30×40″ oil on canvas, with palette knife. This is part of what I’m submitting to a group show we’re doing at the office. More on that when I have the info about the opening.
Citizen Sketcher 