On Saturday, I went to the deYoung Open exhibit with my sister Chrissy. It was a fantastic and at times overwhelming exhibit, the entire floor was filled with 883 pieces of art, often stacked three high on the walls. Made by Bay Area residents, some of whom are professional artists, but most are just regular people who are also wonderful artists. Over 7,700 entries were submitted, I can only imagine what a job it was, for those to decide which ones to choose. The exhibit also brought a huge range of people to view it, I’m sure in part because Saturday was also a free day. I found I was most drawn to works of art that were not what they at first appeared, such as a portrait of a ballerina in flight, which, when I looked closer, I discovered was actually a quilt. Another portrait was made entirely of flowers and leaves, and a quilt of the American Sign Language alphabet that was made from surgical gloves, disposable facemasks and surgical wipes that the artist had found discarded on the street, washed and repurposed.
I absolutely love going to exhibits like this that show the variety of life and experience. The painting of a little girl with a very big pout made me smile, it reminded me of my daughter, Annemarie when she was little and didn’t get her way. I had to laugh when I came to a piece where two men were standing right in front of it, blocking everyone’s view. They seemed completely oblivious that anybody else was around, and as I listened, I realized the piece had to do with the advancements that women have made throughout history, using a cross-section of the tree for a timeline. I just had to laugh at the complete irony of these guys dominating this piece of art about women.
Before I met Chrissy at the deYoung, I had time for a little walk around part of Golden Gate Park, and passed a contingent of monks out for a morning walk in the very cold air. It was overcast all day, and the sun tried valiantly to shine through.
Later, we stopped at Arizmendi bakery for delicious pizza and snacks. There were lots of young families out. It was adorable seeing all the little kids bundled up in puffy jackets and warm hats. You could just see their bright cheeks and little pudgy hands.
After I got home, I spent a little time doing some collage art painting. I’m taking an online 10 day collaging class, though I’ve had to watch the recordings most days because the class is at 11 AM Pacific and I’m usually working at that time. It’s been great to try out different techniques, some work and some don’t, but it’s fun to do it regardless.
I also got out for a walk with a friend and caught up about how things are going with her new job. It was great to be outside but it felt like the day just kept getting colder instead of warmer!