Wandering Wednesday - SF MOMA

 Time for a Wandering Wednesday, this time to SFMOMA. I really enjoyed my visit, going to see art in person, especially when it is so much larger than on one's computer screen or in a book is always a big part of the excitement. 

I've always loved Yayoi Kusama's work, especially her love of pumpkins and polka dots. Getting to see her enormous, exciting, Aspiring to Pumpkin’s Love, the Love in My Heart    in person was so great. 

Couldn't get the whole piece in my picture, because it's rather wide and there were a lot of people.

Finally got to experience one of the infinity rooms by Yayoi Kusama.  Dreaming of Earth’s Sphericity, I Would Offer My Love (2023)  All I can say is wow! And that the pictures truly do not do this justice.

You get let into the cube with a small group, and you have exactly two minutes. It's completely worth the wait in line.

Glad I remembered to "always look up".

The Alexander Calder exhibit with many of his mobiles is always so peaceful. I just love watching the movement of the shadows.

Ended my visit with a late lunch at the museum cafe, including this lovely mocktail with butterfly pea blossom powder.

Daily Pages on Day One

 I've been using DayOne (the Classic version) for journaling for ages now. I switched over after a few years off of journalling because of my hand issues post the two finger surgeries. I really missed the act of writing about everything going on. After getting over not being to physically write that much at a a time, I recognized that typing was still doable for me. I found the Day One program to be very easy to use and I just got used to using it regularly, even though I truly still miss scrawling out page after page of Daily Pages a la The Artist's Way. 

One of the nice things about Day One was the built in ease of taking a picture using my laptop webcam within the journalling program. It was very convenient to use. I would either take a selfie, or if I was writing outside, I'd take a picture of the view. But with my new laptop, for some reason, that functionality isn't there any longer. I spent a lot of time investigating it, no, way too much time. I think I probably need to buy one of the newer versions, but nah.

The program will still let me add a picture that already exists, so I've just been using the Photo Booth app that comes with the laptop before I start writing. And there are special effects available, so I've been playing around with them. At least I'm still journaling, that's the most important part to me. 

The very definition of a First World Problem right?

Sunday Selfie: Portrait of a Reader

 

We can call this one a self portrait of a reader. Excited to finally have a library book come in that I've been waiting months and months for:

I am so glad that I just looked up the book online to see that the cover of it is supposed to look worn out! I was honestly a little worried about the state of this library book as it's fairly new, but now I get it. It's supposed to look like a book that's been carried around and read a lot, kind of like pre-worn in jeans. 

We absolutely devoured the bonkers HBO show based on the book, so I really wanted to read it while I'm waiting on a season 2 to come out. 

Of course, that very same day, the electronic version of it that I'd also requested, arrived online as available. Why oh why? I went with the real deal to give my eyes a break from screen time. 

I've been reading (or listening) to a lot of library books with the great digital resources available they offer these days so this kind of stands out. It requires less trips out of the house, less physical contact with things other folks have handled, etc. The library has a COVID policy of quarantining the books returned before they carefully handle them, so I'm assuming it's okay. 

Note: "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases."

Wishing I Was Still On Vacation

Haven't posted a self-portrait in a while. Well really, it's a selfie from our trip to Hawaii, put through a filter on the app Prisma. (Super fun, and kind of addictive, you should try it out!)

Eyes First

 Stitching on a self-portrait piece.
No my eyes are not actually peacock blue (neither is my face for that matter!)
I used a not very closed-up zig-zag, because I didn't want the weight and height of a satin stitch to outline the shapes.

 This piece has been in the works from a short class at CQFA a while ago about doing self-portraits using fabric with prints or colors to help represent things about yourself. Describing one's insides instead of just portraying the outside.
I had it all glue-sticked and pinned together for more than a year.

I brought it over to China with me, and finally stitched the pieces down. The rest of the quilting is yet to be done though.

Unleashing The Rainbow

Time to unleash the rainbow and do some painting with some new paints. Jacquard Traditional Textiles, which I've never tried before.

I chose a piece of woven tapestry weight, yet soft upholstery free fabric. It has a nice woven-in pattern.
I started out with the lightest color first, yellow. The paint is really intense and a bit thick, so I dabbed it on and then added water.

Adding more colors and seeing how they flow together and change.

My thinking/painting face.

Almost done, and look at that muddy water. I'm liking how the pigment is gathering in some spots according to the woven design of the fabric.

And here it is all done. I was going to make ATC's with it, but I decided against it for several reasons:

• just too pretty to cut up
• a much thicker fabric than I usually use for ATC's
• kind of loosely woven (will probably shred when cut)
• the colors are too spread out to read well in ATC size.

Spoken like a true fabric hoarder huh?

Early Summer Cornucopia

Where have I been lately?

Down by the riverside, in the cool cool shade.

Marveling at what is left behind after a winter's worth of storms.

Taking inadvertent self portraits.

Eating strange concoctions like this trail mix I made up, raw almonds, raisins and raw pumpkin seeds.Watching my son, Zach play timpani and other percussion instruments in the school band 3 times in 3 weeks. He had quite the crowd of young fans at the all-district band concert, elementary school through high school all together.

Or home painting the two story high living room.
No wonder I haven't gotten much artwork done, flitting from one thing to the next is just how this season goes.

Wishing For Colorfulness

Sometimes I wish I was this colorful.

Or I imagine that my cats were equally colorful.

Sometimes I wish my house was this colorful.

Sometimes I wish all of you were this colorful too.