"All knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers, is contained in the dog." - Franz Kafka

Instead of at the end, I am going to start this entry with those random sightings. The IPhone photos are stacking up on my MAC! The photo above was on the sidewalk, somewhere in San Francisco... I can't seem to remember where.

Taxie and I walk around San Francisco together quite a bit, I guess we like each others company. Photo is of us walking the bluffs at Sea Ranch in January... this pup is so my bud.

We are always taking new and different routes on our way to the studio and seem to always come across interesting and often amusing, if not laugh out loud sightings. When I come across the ones that make me laugh I am reminded of our common humanity and that this city is a great place to live. We also discover new and older murals and street art. San Francisco is rich with visual street art. It is always a good idea to stop and take the photo as often the next time you pass it is gone.

O.K., now to catch up on some of those sightings that I would like to share.

I am going to start with one that brought me to a standstill on the sidewalk, laughing at it’s simple stupidity. I admit my humor can be a bit adolescent, but think this is funny. It was on Valencia St., glad I took the photo… it was ripped off the wall by the next morning.

If you have not taken a turn off of Valencia Street onto Clinton Park, let me recommend that you do. It is a very short street, be sure to make the turn onto the alley behind, there are some wonderful murals.

This wonderful wall painting is on an alley off 24th Street in the Mission.

Random moment, just liked the pigions hanging out on another alley in the Mission.

Coastal travels with Taxie... we stopped off in Point Arena (Mendocino County) and saw this amazingly dated door on a local bar. How cool in a kind of chauvinistic way?

I also liked these. Spotted on 20th near Alabama - they are now gone.

Sidewalk stencil. It's too bad that sidewalk stencils are not seen as much in the past few years. They can be creative statements and not as destructive as painting on private property.

Was walking up Hayes Street... the amazing thing about walking in San Francisco is that you always see something you missed or looked over. During Taxie's pee break I saw this! Is this not too funny - weird?! Can you imagine get'n your 'do' done up real nice there?

I had an appointment downtown and decided to walk up Howard St. as I had not recently visited Defenestration, now known as The House of Falling Furniture, by artist Brian Goggin in 1997. It is still there and wonderful. I don’t know if he or someone else did the carnivalesque style murals, they are starting to get a bit faded, so I highly recommend seeing for the first time or revisiting this great installation.

And I know you are all waiting to hear "about me", well, cuz this blog is my blog and all about me. But first I have to write about some very special Italian art boys. But what Italian boy is not special? If you know me or follow my web page or blog then you know my heart is always in Italy, for good reason.

I have made friends via Facebook with blogger Urban Painting, artists Gioanto "Ozmo" Gesi and Teo "Moneyless" Pirisi. Facebook is amazing, enabling us to make friends around the world.

My first contact was with Urban Painting and later with Gioanto who in turn introduced me to Teo. I am so grateful for this connection. What wonderful art they create.

Teo aka Moneyless (got to love that artist tag) has been in town for a show at White Walls Gallery. He does some very insightful work that is based in graffiti mural work and now a statement in conceptual. I am an artist and not an art critic, but I must say that his installation floating through the space of the ceiling was a geometric experience, one of the best conceptual experiences in art I have seen. Moneyless is precise in his work and artful in his execution. What an honor to meet him. While at the opening reception Teo introduced me to his friend, artist Francesco Igory Deiana. Francesco has been actively showing while living here in SF, including 111 Minna Gallery.

Photo of White Walls Gallery opening with Moneyless.

And now all about what's been going on in Studio 202!

I have just finished up a new painting, 4'x4', titled Midtown.

Here are some photos of the progression. This painting has many layers of colors as I wanted a depth when the lighter colors were applied. There is quite a bit of copper and many layers of glaze in the final painting.

Below is a photo of the completed work, however, it has not been professionally photographed yet so the translucency of the glaze layers and copper do not show up on the Iphone photo.

Completing Midtown gave me a bit of time before starting my next painting so I decided to go back to some unfinished projects.

I continued working on Monday Ironing. Below is where it was and where it is now.

Next, I started, or rather, restarted a painting.

This painting of a martini will ultimately live in France and was started in 2009. To explain, I was almost finished with the painting and then decided I was not happy with it. Gesso. Painting gone, new canvas surface!

My client and friend who liked the original was quite patient. She wrote to me saying; "Take your time." I think it is now time to get this done and ship it!

I have the base layers laid in and looking forward to finishing the painting. Hopefully this time we will both be happy!

I am quite excited to be included in a juried group show in Southern California at the Long Beach Arts and looking forward to the opening reception Sunday, February 27.

And the final news I would like to pass along in this entry is that I have started a Facebook fan page. My goal is for this to be a space where artists and art fans can share information. The page is titled Studio 202. All are welcome to join in.

“In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer” Albert Camus

Goals. Artists have goals. Our goals are not that different than most. We want to feel fulfilled. We want to feel that we are contributing. Perhaps the difference is that what we create, and that is the difference, we have to create and in that process it is giving of ourselves.

It is not always easy. It is at times emotionally draining and at other times flows as if there really is a harmony to the universe. It is a fragile balance being an artist. We feel useful and five minutes later can feel useless. It is the artists’ process. It is winter, the studio is cold and perhaps this lends itself to moody painting?

We are in hard times and yet we are in great times. We have to evaluate what is important. We need to look back and learn; we need to look forward and grow.

I have spent the last two years trying to be disciplined about how I paint with a goal or perhaps a personal reward to move into what I love, color. Just color. The bringing in of a new year, and in this case a new decade can be a bit philosophical and perhaps aside from the introspective it always has to be a move forward. Art cannot stay stagnant. It is about life and life is not stagnant.

Looking back at the paintings I did in 2010 I think that Pacific Atlas was a real crossroads for me.

The painting moved me back to oils and into more minimal abstract statements. The painting, in oils, Billboard, made that statement for me. The process has been about taking the reality to a minimal statement.

I then was able to free myself and move into the three paintings, which are posted on my web page as; Untilled #1, #2 and #3. These paintings are not really untitled. They are portraits of three very important women in my creative life. Two are of artists Vesna Breznakar

and Candice Gawne

and the third, my partner in life, Anne Zeller.

These paintings are color. The colors are so intense that my photographer said; “…these colors are outside the gamut of a laptop screen.”

FUN! My goal in painting is for color that cannot be photographed. Color. More color. I doubt that this series is complete.

Below is a painting that Candice Gawne gave to me in 1975 titled View Esplande. This painting is still amazing and one of my favorites. Candice or Candi as I call her, has always had an amazing command of color. She naturally gets it and has never been afraid to be bold. If you look at her web page you will see a bit of her journey... from color to light in painting to finally just light. She is a painter who has moved her paintings to light, she has worked for sometime in neon. Did I already use the word amazing?

In my home are also many treasures that Vesna has created over the years, but as of this writing I do not have a photo of some of her, O.K., again with that word, amazing, painted furniture. I am posting a photo below of a small bronze she gave to me... a chair with a rabbit. I love this small sculpture.

My first show of 2011, A collection of city inspired paintings, will be up during January at Jumpn' Java Cafe'.

While Anne was helping me hang the show she took this (extremely flattering) photo. The new standing joke is that the ATM is SO in focus... I think it might be a hint?

I became so sidtracked with the non-objective (or perhaps a new art form, non-objectionable, well, I hope anyway) paintings that I still have three started paintings stacked up in the studio and a new one that I am really excited to start.

The 4'x4' canvas is ready and waiting. I have had a hard time deciding if this should be a drawing, oil or acrylic painting. I have decided on acrylic. The pre drawing layouts are ready, now to tackle the actual canvas!

And looking forward to the near future, I hope to be more involved with with Mission United Artists. Thanks to artists Trish Tunney and dk haas (and others I am sure) as they are working to bring together artists in the Mission area of San Francisco. This is a great idea and I look forward to meeting and sharing with those artists who create in the same hood as I do.

I was hoping to write in this blog about some new artist friends in Italy, but that will have to wait until my next entry. In the meantime check out some of Gionata Ozmo Gesi's (known as Ozmo) work on Flickr... some amazing urban art and a cool guy too!

Random sightings? Of course there were random sightings! And probably one of the best yet. I was walking near the studio and on the street was a parked trailer with the, not just the, but THE Doggie Diner Dogs! I know I am easily amused, but it really was one of the highlights of 2010 for me!

My favorite cool car sighting this time was of a very sweet MG Midget. My heart is always with the MG.

Photo below of my Dad's MG in 1953 when I was a baby riding in the back. And in college I had my own 1959 MGA right hand drive. Yup, I come from a MG family.

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!" - Dr. Seuss

Hmm... Taxie what do you think? I think we need to get some of these paintings finished. What's that you say? Yes, you are absolutely correct, stop thinking and start painting!

It's hard to believe it's been a month already since Open Studios. I admit it was a bit of a challenge to get back in my painting groove. I know is has been the same for other artists, the week following was so quiet around the studios.

I continued to work on the billboard painting (12 x 24") and it is coming along. I want to keep the statement very minimal; the focus being the white against the abstract blue of sky. Sometimes it takes longer to do what looks simple than what seems complicated. Here is where it is as of today, with a detail of the bottom corner.

While waiting for the oils to dry out enough to continue I went back to three paintings; Wiz Burgers (on 18th @ South Van Ness), Terrace Chair and Hill View #3: Corona. Both Terrace Chair and Hill View #3: Corona I had hurried to be ready for Open Studios and after... again that thinking thing, thought, no they are not done. Now they are! (First photos are where I left off and now where they are.)

The weekend after Open Studios we took off for a wonderful extended weekend at Sea Ranch (on the Sonoma/ Mendocino county line). The coast is so amazing and wild along this somewhat remote stretch of HWY 1. Taxie had a blast discovering snakes, skunks and other little critters (I did not completely share all of her enthusiasm).

This week I have started a new painting of the bluffs at Sea Ranch - so far I have laid in the composition. Photo from early morning walk with high white waves and churn - spectacular!

I guess that kind of wraps up the Studio 202 news and now to the fun random sightings! I have gotten a bit behind on posting some of this fun stuff... so here goes.

An especially exciting time for me to stumble upon this Italian urban artist I follow, Erica il Cane (his name is actually Erica - the dog part is his tag) in my neighborhood. Anyway, have no idea how Fifty24 Gallery (218 Filmore Street) scored this show, but wow, some of his work is right here in the Lower Haight hood. The show is titled: We were living in the woods. I hope that his murals remain for a long time for all of us to enjoy. Check it out while it's around.

Here are two that are, well, talk about random, just make me laugh.

The actual pieces of toast are nailed to a garage and the tag above say's; "Make toast not war!".

This one made me really laugh. Kind of self explanatory. Poor wanna be delinquent totally got "yo momma" wrong (please keep in mind that I am such a white girl that I had to google how to properly spell this - came up with two street speak, so I am going with this, but I am still confused). I laugh every time I look at this photo.

I have been seeing this little guy showing up all around town... don't know who the artist is, but a cool little stencil.

Recently there was a big re-paint party at Clarion Alley in the Mission, here is a new addition.

I find it interesting, the political statements are not as evident lately, this was also taken on Clarion Alley and it is all pretty much covered up.

Tail end (no pun intended) of Clarion Alley @ Mission.

And finally, one of my favorite things, more cool car sightings.

A NASH spotted on 24th Street in the Mission.

Morris Minor woody and I forget where I saw it, but how cool! The Morris Minor has always been one of my favorites.

... and check out this beautifuly restored FIAT 500 spotted on 14th Street - WOW!

To wrap it up, life and what surrounds us changes everyday, very exciting, do not forget to look!