Harbor View - Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games

This is the third and final painting in a series of watercolors I painted for my clients for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. This was the favorite painting in the series. I painted this before I arrived in Vancouver, and when I actually saw this spot in person, I realized I exaggerated the rings a bit. They are not quite this large in real life. But, it is art, so I am allowed to make some interpretations, right?

I enjoyed walking along the harbor on several nights, as my work days were long and a daytime walk was never possible. I love that the city had a safe, beautiful place to walk at night, since that was my best opportunity to take in some sites.

Olympic Closing Ceremonies Tonight

This is the second piece I created for my clients for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. The rings light up the harbor at night. It really gets you in the spirit of the Games seeing this at night. I ended up having a similar view our my window of my hotel.

The Olympics in Vancouver, BC - BC Place

I wanted to paint some Olympic themed images of Vancouver for my clients prior to my trip to the Olympics to assist with the execution of a sponsor program. I struggled to find the iconic images that were so easy to compose in my Summer Olympic series surrounding the Beijing Olympics. Since I painted Beijing's "Birds Nest" stadium, I thought painting BC Place would be a complimentary image. Wrong! Its a dome. I feel bad saying it, but this is not an architectural marvel. I do not look at this and wonder in amazement how it was made. Rather, I wonder in amazement why it was made.

Stay tuned for some other Vancouver Olympic themed work I did. I was dissatisfied with the result of this painting, so I kept trying!

The Astor's Beechwood

I love this property. I remember visiting the Astor's Beechwood (www.astorsbeechwood.com) as a little girl and taking the tour --led by actors in period costume-- with my family. I remember standing in the front of the group, eagerly following our guide through all the rooms of this lovely mansion. I truly believe my childhood trip to the Astor's Beechwood sparked my interest in museums, and in turn my studies in college.

I started this painting over the summer, and have carried it around in my paint kit for some time. I wrote previously that I struggle painting white buildings, and this neutral color was also a challenge for the same reason.

It's Halloween. Can you guess what we decided to be?

iPhones!

Our costumes were a big hit, and I carefully painted each app! Unlike most of my other work, I painted the apps that made up our costumes using acrylic paints on reclaimed fabric. You may also notice the fabric "puff paint" I used in the Yelp app to add some dimension and shine. I wanted to make a homemade costume that was current, relevant, and inexpensive to produce, but once I started painting 40 apps, I realized I set myself up for a complicated project. It took more time then I anticipated, but everything was completed in time for the big weekend. In the photo above, we are posing in front of a Mondrian at SfMOMA's Curiosities Party. Thanks to Celestine for the photo.

The Contemporary Jewish Museum www.thecjm.org in downtown San Francisco is located in a lovely courtyard area in the center of the block bounded by Market, Mission, 3rd, and 4th. I love walking down Yerba Buena alley and passing by this monument when I going through this part of town. I would love to paint this building again in different lighting or from a slightly different angle. We'll see... there is so much I want to paint!

This building, 2008 Washington Street, is just up the street from me. I love walking by here and imagining I called this place home. It is next door to Danielle Steele's house, the old Sprekels Mansion, and across from Lafayette Park.