San Francisco

Hey friends!

It's been a while...a long while full of art making (and subsequent lack of important things like housekeeping, blogging, breakfast) rolled right into a last minute trip to San Fran. It was a sun spot in the middle of the deadlines. Paint was still drying while I packed!

I promise to get better about sharing out-of-studio adventures. I tend to leave them out. So here's San Francisco (watch out, it's a long one! Click to enlarge pics if you'd like). My little SF playlist includes songs from Cold War Kids:"Mine Is Yours" and M83's new album: "New Map", "Steve McQueen", and Sequentia's Hildegard "Symphoniae" for the sleepy trip back... 

I will NEVER get over the novelty of lift off and I can't stop smiling when the wheels leave the ground.

I also love the perspective travel brings. See all those tiny squares? Farms. People. Lives. Wee little animals and things sleeping while you fly over their heads. It's refreshing. Last, I love the miracle of it: crossing the country in 6 hours, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. We live in some lucky times...

OH––Hello, San Francisco! You are a glittering thing to meet by night. I wonder what you look like by day? Hey Union Square trolleys dinging, crazy trumpet serenades, and SPRING WEATHER for thick-blooded New Englanders...

Union Square at sunrise

I met Matt the next morning, who was already there on business, but he was quickly back over the Bay Bridge for work, and I hopped in a cab to visit the dreamy lair of Chronicle Books. Thank you to the brilliant art directors and editors there (Kate, Kristine, Kristen!) for the creative brainstorm and to Ariel for the tour! Then it was time for ideas to simmer and I had a full day to myself with San Francisco...

..got lost and ended up on the Embarcadero.

...made a friend!

Swooned a little.

Fell in love with the view from Pier 14.

After work, we set out to take in the city and get ourselves some walking blisters.

Mr. Matt P.

Hurtling high speed over the Golden Gate: something I'll never forget!

Great giant Smorkin' at Kidrobot on Haight!

Pizzeria Delfina in the Mission, artists at work, really friendly folks.

The capable hands of a Tartine baker. Ohhh, Tartine, Tartine.

I came across the country with dreams of Tartine's pain au chocolat

et cafe au lait!

(Worth the trip.)

Finally, touched the Pacific!

As always, I fell back in love with home when our red-eye touched down during a Boston sunrise...back to the place where people drop their R's and add them in where they don't belong. Back to Seri waiting at the door and the seeds of new ideas!