follow your heart

<3 city wisdom

city streets

always

...

day(s) at the museum(s)

I woke up early and raced to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to absorb as much as I could before they closing their doors for the next 2.5 years as they expand. I was surprised to see a line had already formed for The Clock viewing with over one hundred people in line and it wasn't even 8 AM yet. I joined the line and after a long wait I was lucky enough to be one of the last few people allowed in the theater for the 24 hour viewing of the 24 hour long movie. I stayed until close to noon before leaving to recharge and keep my tummy from rumbling. I was given a clock stamp on my hand to allow me to take a 15 min break before waiting for another person to leave the theater so I could step back in. I opted to let everyone else experience the movie and explore the rest of the museum in the last 48 hours. I had a piece of Rothko toast at the rooftop sculpture garden, most of the sculptures have already been placed around the city, but the "Please do not touch the artwork"stencil remains. The figure by Jenny Saville was a commanding presence in the room and I kept coming back to this piece. While some visitors stayed all day and through the night with the museum open for 24hours as the countdown continued... I went home and then came back for one more visit before they turned off the lights. 

with my second day in a row at SF MOMA, this time with a friend, but still a little bit faster we raced around taking in favorites before I raced to the De Young Museum for the final day of the Dutch Paintings exhibit with the Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer as the central piece where eager museum visitors where lined up to take a peak at through thick glass. The floral and food still life pieces are my favorite. Lucky for me the rest of the museum was pretty empty so I took advantage of the quiet space to reflect on the art, even Rothko was alone, which seems to never happen at MOMA. After so many hours between two museums I was seeing similarities/art everywhere. I strolled through the rose garden, and ambled through the Union Street Festival before walking past pretty tiles and sidewalk chalk notes for a garage sale that looked more like inspirational art on the steep SF hills before making my way home

Carnival

Dynamic colors and energy in the Mission at the Carnival celebration. So much joy and pride that everyone was beaming. Young and old danced (or walked) to routines practiced in anticipation of this event in hand embroidered clothes that show rich culture and tradition or the colorful risque style of Brazil with themes that change every year. Many watched from their apt windows or lined up along Mission street. I walked around the neighborhood after the festival and spotted this Frida Kahlo sidewalk art and "A Sunday Afternoon at Dolores Park" mural painting by D. Doherty that is a take on Georges Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1884. 

in pursuit of magic

this stencil art was started by "two women on a crusade to elevate consciousness and amplify meaning in the world." It's always such a joy to come across these little beacons of light. I've wanted to make a Northern California landscape painting for a while now and this beautiful painting has me feeling super inspired.... Summer goal.

mobile art

tropical sunset at an east bay big box store

oakland sweetness

I met up with an Oakland friend and I was finally (3rd times a charm) able to try Doughnut Dollys filled to order donuts. We split a lemon creme and Mexican spiced chocolate. Talked with a local gardener and walked around streets overflowing with jasmine flowers in bloom. It was misty with a little rain earlier and it made the views of the east bay even more dreamlike. I lived in Oakland for a short stint and it's special charm is something that I miss from time to time, especially when I see zebras grazing under a highway overpass or one of hundreds of Rothko like walls as people paint over patches of graffiti.

stroll in the old country

 I went for a walk at lunch through one of SF's neighborhoods that is home to many Russia families. This was the first part of the city that I called home and it feels like the "old country" to me and the charm with baskets of potatoes and wooden boxes of produce that line the sidewalks outside humble markets full of chocolate, cheese, and cured meats from Russia. Refrigerators stocked with bottles of vodka and Russian being spoken by all it's hard to not be charmed and feel transported for a little while. It looks like the anchor has settled in as well and of course I'm always happy to see it and say hello. I hope to meet the sidewalk sailor someday. Oh, this tile mosaic rug/entryway is one of my favorites in the neighborhood and I use to go out of my way to see it when I lived nearby.

positivity and light

The light was filtered through trees and reflected off windowpanes. I love these masking tape poems that pop up underfoot. The artist is an older gentleman that carries his boombox, collection of sharpies and rolls of tape along and leaves a trail of smiles in his wake. Here's another favorite street name translate to Chinese.

a little stroll through Chinatown

the sun was electric and all the colors seemed to vibrate. The sticker art above reminds me of a dear friend that's living in Mexico, except she's anything but "pobrecita" a poor little girl. I pass this vibrant building often and love how it's almost a soft pastel when the sun goes down and the lantern cast a soft red/pink glow. Even the grates seemed full of colorful wrappers.

poetry on the streets of san francisco

little shared sidewalk succulent garden is doing well and soaking up all this sunshine and warmth with the rest of the city. Hello, early summer. 

a few of my favorite things

these sweet teacups lined up in the window, diamonds on the sidewalk, and the magic hour when shadows grow long and colors are illuminated

desert oasis in the middle of the city

hearts afoot

On my walk to school I came across a patch of wet cement being smoothed out (rare here) and stopped by after work to draw a small heart into the still wet cement that was now hidden under a plank of plywood. The next day I peaked to see if the heart was still there, but alas it had been smoothed back out. I decided to stop by again after school to scratch in a little heart love note to the city. I tried to be sly and go unnoticed while fumbling for a bobby pin and then kneeling down with clogs on... no laces to pretend to tie. I scratched in this wee heart pictured above and just a few seconds before I was done going over my lines again a young guy in a truck on the other side of the street yelled out his window, "Hey, I just smoothed that out." My heart sank a little I told him, "I just made a small heart." Not sure if he was able to hear me I put my hands together to make a heart. He put his head down a little, waved his hand and calmly said he'd smooth it out. I'm pretty sure he knew my intentions were good and that I didn't want to make more work for him. I walked away and hoped that he would leave the little heart. The following day I walked by this little stretch and was thrilled to see that it was still there. If you happen to be on Chestnut street near Fillmore you may see this little heart and I hope it warms yours.

early morning light

walking early in the morning, still bleary eyed, reveals a part of the city in a new light. pastel colors seem softer and the sunrise seemed to stretch for a few hours as it came up and over each new hill

The Mill

I caught up with a friend that just moved a few blocks away from The Mill, another friends new coffee shop. The Mill is a beautiful space with fabulous Four Barrel Coffee, herringbone tile work, magnolias,  and Portland friends serving coffee and smiles. We walked over to Felletti Foods for a treat and I spotted two of my favorite tags together! The diamond and the anchor, le sigh, maybe they're by the same person... or a duo. I feel like I'm getting closer to discovering the gems behind this trail around the city.

green glow

I walked up and over a few hills to catch up with a friend in the Marina. These are the steep hills that leave me winded while trying to chat on the phone mid climb, but oh the views. I picked up a green juice at the Juice Shop for later and chowed on a cobb salad at the Backyard Kitchen while catching up. This giraffe (more safari animals in SF) greeted me and an old Nikko sign had me remembering this article and interview that had me sitting in my car in Portland, Oregon missing SF. Poppies are blooming and daylight savings has the corner store produce glowing a little longer.

in pursuit of magic and wonder

An early morning in Japan town revealed these gems.