Tag Archives: Amy Lynn Andrews

Baghdad by the Bay, Part 1

San Francisco is a jewel.

Moon over Coit Tower

Moon rising over Coit Tower from Lombard St.

This city will always be special in my eyes, despite my preference for rural environments. I love the way it straddles the divide between urban and sylvan so easily, and relish its approachability as a web of neighborhoods of distinct personality, rather than a forbidding fortress of concrete and steel. A long time ago we lived on the Presidio for three wonderful years; I gave birth to our daughter with a view of the Golden Gate bridge from my hospital room and, ironically, our son’s current office is within one of the refurbished officer’s homes that abut the property of the now demolished hospital where his sister was born. So happily, the connection persists.

Curiot Mural

A mural of a mythical beast by Curiot (Favio Martinez) who blends human and animal forms while alluding to Mexican traditions. At Bush St. and Grant Ave.

Cupid's Span

“Cupid’s Span”, 2002, by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Brugge, near the Ferry Building

Language of Birds and Jazz Mural

“Language of the Birds”, Brian Goggin & Dorka Keehn’s 2008 solar-powered light sculpture before the backdrop of Bill Weber’s 1987 “Jazz Mural”. Both are only a stone’s throw from SF’s iconic City Lights booksellers. Words and phrases embedded in the sidewalk below, give the impression they have fallen out of the books. The words are in English, Italian, and Chinese, reflecting the neighborhood’s rich literary history.

Our visit this month was just what I needed to shake out my end-of-winter malaise and to recharge the old batteries. ‘Baghdad by the Bay’, eminently walkable, with its golden light, fresh and varied foods, and rich array of cultural choices, proved to be just the balm needed at this time of year.

“Woodline”, 2011 by Andy Goldsworthy, in the Presidio

Spire

“Spire”, 2008 by Andy Goldsworthy, in the Presidio

Among its many attributes, San Francisco is a city swathed in art – both professionally polished and creatively homegrown – offering visual delights in just about every corner. This post is a nod to a few of the many discoveries that caught my eye.

Balmy Lane

Balmy Lane, Mission District       We took a “Detour” walking tour – a phone app audio guide – through the mural-rich Mission. Balmy Lane is a one block alley lined with beautiful and vibrant murals.

Balmy Lane

Balmy Lane

The icing on the artistic cake was getting tickets to see the Matisse / Diebenkorn exhibit that had just opened at the SF MOMA. It is a wonderful show; two of my greatest heroes together, brilliantly curated to underline the strong influence that Mattisse had on Diebenkorn. There were no photos allowed, which in hindsight was an advantage since it meant there was nothing between viewer and art, requiring full engagement with the work. This is the best link I could find with some of the images. There is a full room of drawings that are spectacular! My only regret in regard to no photos is that I wasn’t able to have a record of the identifying cards next to the works – they were filled with info that I would like to reread.

Klee Puppet

We also visited “Paul Klee at Play” at SF MOMA. These hand puppets were made by Klee for his son, Felix

Klee puppet

Another Klee puppet using papier-mâché, found materials, and scraps of cloth

Battle of the Sexes

“Battle of the Sexes”, 1982 by Tom Otterness. A frieze that surrounds a door opening, with female figures climbing on the left, males on the right. Both carry cylindrical drums and spheres representing abstract ideas. At the top they meet and a struggle erupts without a winner.

Czara z Babelkami

“Czara z Babelkami”, 2006 by Ursula von Rydingsvard, a towering cedar sculpture in the SF MOMA sculpture garden

I’m saving my thoughts on Wendy Maruyama’s WildLIFE Project & Janice Arnold’s FELT DECODED at the Museum of Craft and Design for next week. I’ll also have a few of the sketches I was able to squeeze in around the edges. I hope you will check back.

And to follow-up on the ‘White Screen of Death’ that occurred right after we left town…it ended up being an easy fix once I got home and could devote a few minutes to figuring out the problem from my laptop. I can never say enough good things about my server, Bluehost. I found a tutorial on their site that allowed me to dig myself out of trouble in about 15 minutes. I have since learned that the WSoD is unfortunately not all that uncommon for WordPress users. May you never experience it. But just in case you do, below are a couple of links that lifted me beyond my initial panic so that I could relax and enjoy our vacation, knowing it was very likely a solvable problem.

  • Amy Lynn Andrews’ post “How to Deal with Errors and Warnings”…a must-read, applicable to any computer issue.
  • WP Sync one-time fix $39. I can’t give this a personal recommendation because I didn’t need to use it and there are likely many other groups that offer similar deals. But, it was definitely peace of mind to know that, if needed, I could get an expert on the case at a very reasonable price, and without having to commit to an on-going service.

A Worthwhile Plunge

Hard to believe, but this is the 80th uninterrupted week of posts to Eye of the Needle. When I first decided to create a blog I was concerned about a lot of things, most of which probably run through the mind of anyone who considers writing publicly. Would I have enough to say each week? Would anyone be interested enough to read it? How could I skirt an “it’s all about me” approach? …and so forth and so on.

WIne-&-Onion-Line1

Wine & Onion, stage one    ©2016 Elizabeth Fram                   I mentioned last week that I had been drawing a sprouted onion a lot. It appears again in this experiment with water-soluble ink and watercolor pencils – in a sketchbook that wasn’t meant to take washes. Oh well.

Surprisingly, those issues have fallen in place relatively smoothly as it seems that there is always at least one thing that happens or that I read about in a given week that I think will pique someone else’s interest. And I truly enjoy that this blog has developed into the conversation I  initially sought. (Thank you for your comments, both public and private!) But aside from those factors, I’ve discovered several unexpected gifts have materialized by showing up here weekly, benefits I never in a million years would have foreseen.

I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy the writing itself. And in turn, I had no idea I would like the accountability that goes with a weekly deadline. Maybe it’s just that I’m such a creature of routine that I appreciate the solid regularity in knowing that I have to pull together one idea each week. It turns out that the resulting benefit is that this weekly thought-based commitment is healthy for my studio work as well.

WIne-&-Onion-Color-Pencil2

Wine & Onion, stage two    ©2016 Elizabeth Fram

I love having the opportunity to learn and to do research in order to flesh out the sparks of whatever each week’s subject may be, with the consequence that I’ve happened across some really interesting artists, writers and concepts I might not otherwise have encountered. In terms of giving back, it’s rewarding to be a participant – to pay forward the benefits I’ve gleaned from reading other blogs. I am passing along nuggets of info I hope might be of interest to you as a nod to the way that I have learned so much from others. Sharing through information and challenges swings open doors, leaving none of us feeling we are too remote, despite working in a solitary fashion. And although it can be supremely frustrating, I’m glad for the technological knowledge that’s been a side benefit. With each new internet/computer glitch that appears, I’m gaining confidence to rise to its challenge — or at a minimum, know that eventually I’ll be able to find a way to dig myself out of the problem.

WIne-&-Onion-Color-Wash3

Wine & Onion, stage three   ©2016 Elizabeth Fram

Most importantly though, I value that this blog has been an opportunity to articulate the structure behind my own work while helping me to understand the ways and means behind the way I respond to others’ art. Because that requires drawing parallels and contrasts in order to better understand issues, it’s an impetus to seek out more of what is happening in the wider world of art.

WIne-&-Onion-Color-FInal

Wine & Onion ©2016 Elizabeth Fram

I can’t say it’s a speedy process; I probably write way too many drafts, but it’s well-worth the time and I do believe I’m getting faster. That said, if there’s any possibility that you’re considering beginning a blog yourself, I would encourage you to go for it. Who knows what discoveries you’ll make.

Here are some links to start you on your way:

Once you’re up and running, be sure to send me the link!