The High and Low?

Very interesting day recently, extremes that I completely enjoyed.
First, I went to the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show, "one of the five most renowned art and antiques shows in the world." Not only did I see some rarefied art and objects (at some rarefied prices), they had a SIX pound gold nugget. Yeow!

That evening I went to an opening for several artists from the Artist in Residence program sponsored by Recology, our local waste disposal company  -- that is, art made from trash. While the source material (and, frankly, the prices) are rather lower at the Recology show than at the Antiques Show, the ART sure is every bit as wonderful, in some ways even more so.
Click here for more info on the artists and works in the show.
Click here for more on Recology's excellent Artist in Residence program

Quite a day of contrasts, no? Ones man's trash is another man's treasure... well duh.
The Antiques Show will be back next fall.
But you can still visit the Recology Artists show hosted at the Lost & Foundry Studios in Oakland through Nov 22. Don't miss it, you'll find loads of treasures.
Contact The Lost & Foundry to make an appointment to see any of the works:
Lost & Foundry contact page

Here's just some of what caught my eye --
First the Recology Show at Lost & Foundry Studios:

"Chaotic Progression" kinetic scuplture by Ben Cowden; wall art on right by Barbara Holmes.

Sculpture by Nemo Gould; watch out for that mosquito!

"Monster Without" by Ferris Plock

soft sculpture by Lauren DiCioccio

tables, wood & metal, by Hannah Quinn

"Brotherhood of Basket Cases" by Micah Gibson

Next, the SF Fall Antiques Show:

Nice Rock! Over SIX pounds of Gold.

Love the faux-furry mid-century Italian Lounge Chairs

There's even some weird at the Antiques Show.

One dealer brought loads of  fantastic 19c animal prints, small, very affordable.
Would love to hang a series of them in a child's room!

Also well priced, delicious Italian vases.

This kid had better things to do than admire antiques.

Totally cool, optometrist eye testing scope.
Would fit right in at Lost & Foundry's Recology Show.

I always love pieces by Fornasetti

These were carved on Pitcairn Island to sell to tourists. 

Talk about a great souvenir!

Pug anyone?

I met this Beautiful Lady

I had a very special visit recently to Jeremy Mayer's studio to meet his completed Theia sculpture.

What a stunning goddess she is! At over 7ft tall, she is towering and elegant, caught just at the moment when her toes barely touch the earth, her hands are flexed, as the wings on her head lift her entire body into flight.
Theia was commissioned by Oculus VR, a company very recently acquired by Facebook. I'm jazzed that Theia will be moving near me, into office space on the Facebook campus in Menlo Park.
Jeremy is a mind-boggling talent, who creates his sculptures entirely from typewriter parts, every single piece.

Detail of Theia's hand

Theia's toes are one of my favorite parts of her body.

Jeremy has great projects underway for the next many months. Click here for Jeremy's website.

I've seen Theia during her development, in visits and in images Jeremy has shared. But what really struck me on seeing her this time is how powerful it is to see art in person.
Looking at images of art, usually a teensy jpeg, maybe on the computer screen (like here), just doesn't do it.
The aura, the emotional impact--for sculpture especially--is exponentially greater in person.

Most of us these days prefer to shop from our keyboards. But with art, you are liable to miss some great opportunities (and make some bad choices) if you don't get out there and visit art in person.
Some folks have said they feel awkward seeing art with the artist standing right there.
Get over it.
You'll miss out on so much if you don't.
Plus seeing it in person is the best way to learn more about art, what you like, what you want to collect for yourself.

There are raft of open studio events in the Bay Area coming up, and all over the country. Fall is a great time to do a little nesting before the holidays.
Be sure to take the kids. Young kids totally dig their experience with art; they will see things that will just delight you. And inform you. With teenagers, it's a great outing together.  If you listen carefully, you'll hear some intriguing input during the car ride home.

Make a plan. Go out and look at art!

On Oct 25, The Lost & Foundry Studio in Oakland is showing works from the Recology Artists in Residence Program, including art by Nemo Gould:
Click here for info on Lost & Foundry's Recology Artists event

Starting this Sat Oct 11, there are open studios EVERY weekend in San Francisco through Nov 9:
Click here for SF Open Studio info

Thanks Jeremy!

A Great Evening

Guest communing with kinetic sculpture by Nemo Gould

What a SHOW!
What a CROWD!
What a PARTY!

The artists of Oakland's Lost & Foundry Studios hosted an EXCELLENT gathering on Saturday evening, filled with art appreciators and even more artists from around the Bay Area.

Artists of the Foundry create engineered art using some righteous power tools and heavy equipment.  They generously opened up their studios with LOADS of wild & wonderful art to see, lots of LIVELY discourse, and plenty of COLD beer after a hot day.
The crew did a beautiful job setting up the space for viewing and socializing.

If you were not lucky enough to join in the merry-making, you should kick yourself.
(I told you to go.)
Below are a few pictures of the action you missed.
Contact any of the Foundry artists to purchase or learn more about their work:
click here for the Lost & Foundry Studios Facebook Page

You could've been having fun with this crowd at the Open Studio Party

Wall Sculpture, left, by Sean Orlando; Sconce, right, by Peter Kropf

Artist Daniel Yasmin explains 9000 year-old direct gating process to absorbed young guests

Guests enjoying some hands-on time with the art

detail of work by Nemo Gould

Studio workspace at Lost & Foundry 

Train Your Eyeballs

Collecting art is about learning to see.

My mother made me sit with a little notebook to draw the towers of great Romanesque cathedrals when I was a child. This was NOT to teach me to draw (nor, as I thought at the time, to torture me). It was to teach me to SEE. 

Go to open studios. Go to gallery openings--it’s fun learning to see with a glass of wine in your hand.  Go to museum shows. 

Walk a path you take every day and find three new things (put away electronic devices).

Play “I spy” with your kids (the under 8 crowd see AMAZING things).

Open your eyes, connect your brain, and ACTIVELY SEE.

These guys see EVERYTHING!
Zip Synch 2013, by Nemo Gould