Joyeux Noël !

With a little help from Tom and Jerry...

This way out

In the US, streets are so long that usually when you give an address you add the corner street...

Haight-Ashbury is one of these corner street and also a very famous district of San Francisco, historically linked with hippies and big name comedians. 

Not my favorite area of SF at all but somewhere I have to go...

Some of the Victorian houses are amazing for sure!

No thong...

It's almost Christmas, for god's sake, and way too cold for that!
Even on feet.
:)

Old perspectives

I must have walked past these lines a hundred times... Old and dirty and almost invisible!

I remember the art class teaching us how to draw these.
It's a very modern way to look at the city.

In the Mission.

Small Blue Thing

 

This little man is very tiny. 

It's interesting how close-ups distort our perception of reality. The first time I saw the Mona Lisa, I was somewhat disappointed by its size.

Same thing about the Statue of Liberty that stands on the Quai des Etats-Unis in Nice, France... 

;)

Changes! (one year old)

A lot have happened since I started this blog...

This building, for one, is no more.
Many art pieces are long gone too.

The Bay Bridge is now a beautiful pendant to the old red bridge.
The Mission, like so many other districts of the city, is getting gentrified...
Things change. Time flies.

I'm happy to have been part of it.

Prohibited

 

I have only seen 2 signs like this.

This one here in the Mission. And at an Ikea. Possibly in East Palo Alto...

A reminder that many people have guns here.

San Francisco is an American city.

Another Hidden Gem

One of these little murals that defines the Mission.

I was walking with my kid and her friend. We took an unusual route and bam!... We stumbled on that beautiful piece...
Strolling is the key :)
And keeping your eyes open!

Keith Haring and Technology

I find this work of art interesting. The fact that it has been chosen for this exhibition here in San Francisco, in the Silicon valley...

The room it was in was my favorite room.

But I liked the whole exhibition. I was impressed by the choice made by he curators, of the way they choose to set the various pieces.

At the de Young museum.

The Flame

Yet another route and another little art piece that decorates the city...
On our way to Cow Palace, we saw this flame.
I wonder what it stands for.

The area is not very touristic. The gas station nearby does not help but it was unexpected.

Wall Garden

A very tiny yet lovely wall garden.
The only other one I saw was in Paris and was way bigger.

Sunset houses

Everywhere you go in San Francisco, you will see colorful houses.
These ones are in the Sunset.
That day the fog was lifting, letting the sunlight on them.

Santa's here!

A beautiful Christmas decoration.
I can't wait to see them all...

Very apropos today on St Nicholas Day.

Expensive Watch

 

A beautiful watch on top of a pole.

Don't ask me why I like it. I do.

Mona Lisa...

... and her wicked smile.

This one has a Mexican twist. 

(on Haight street, the other side)

The Palace

I don't know what it is with sailboats. They make everything look so much prettier...
Late afternoon by the Bay.

Work in Progress... and it's done!

A few days ago I had the chance to see Shawn Bullen at work...

Very impressive.
And it made me think about street art.

Obviously the project was carefully thought and planned.

What I knew about murals in SF is that, in the Mission, at least, if you do not want your house tagged, having a piece of art helps. But I had assumed something more amateurish. Something like students painting their school, etc.

But of course, being an mural artist is a very serious business. You need the paints, the wall, the equipment, the time... Not to mention the design, the drawing on a small piece of paper of what you are going to enlarge tenfold. The skill, the craftsmanship, the talent...

Wow.
WOW.
Wow.

I spoke with the artist a few days later and got his card. (That's how I got his name). The piece was over but not yet official.

I can't say that I find this artwork pretty. I would certainly not put this on my wall. The details though are worth a visit.
And everything that came before and led to that amazing mural has all my admiration and respect.

in Noe Valley. San Francisco, Ca

Panorama (take #1)

From the top of Corona Heights Park.
My first attempt at panorama with my intelligent phone.
 :)

We walked there for the first time a couple of weeks ago. A guy was flying his massive drone. It was very impressive and was moving so fast I did not manage to take a picture. So I decided to take a panorama view instead...

In terms of symmetry, I certainly did a great job :)