Happy Anniversary to Me!

So, yesterday was my one month anniversary of being in San Francisco and I have to say it was probably one of the most jam-packed and enjoyable days yet. As mentioned, I went to the Sausalito Art Festival. We left a little after 8am and didn't return til a little after 10pm. I'm going to link to a few of my favorite artists and the one I bought a few photos from a little bit later, but first will discuss the rest of the day. Unfortunately this won't be a picture post because bonehead me forgot my digital camera.

It started with an underground ride to the Embarcadero, and then a streetcar ride to the ferry pier, but since our group was early we strolled around Pier 39 and saw the sea lions. They were such characters and it was adorable to watch them play around on the docks with their sea lion buddies. Then we ferried over to Sausalito for the festival. As soon as we stepped off the ferry we were given programs and sent on our merry way. The weather in Sausalito was to die for; just the right mix of sun and a slight breeze. There was food and entertainment to go along with the huge collections of all different sorts of interesting artwork. We grabbed a lunch of fried calamari, pizza, crab cakes, and margaritas under a tent while watching some old school bands play. We stayed at the festival from about 11am til 5pm, there was just so much to see and everything was so visually stunning. I even got a chance to look in the U.S Army Corps of Engineers model of the Bay Area. Of course there were a few things that were more my style than others, but I would've taken home something from every booth if I had the money and space for it. After the festival we headed back to San Francisco on the ferry and walked to Caeser's for an Italian feast. Our party of five each had a seven course dinner which was not bad, but way too much food, especially after the lunch we had. Dinner was definitely in Italian style in that we were at the restaurant for two hours plus. From there we did a reverse Muni trip home only to collapse into bed because of the exhausting day.

On to the important part. So there must've been two to three hundred booths and I'm pretty sure I got a look at at least 90% if not all of the booths. Of all the different types of art, I was definitely most drawn to the photography. Paintings, sculptures, jewelry, printmaking, glassblowing, and all sort of mixed media works were available as well.

Patty Mulligan was one of the more innovative photographers. You've got to read her process section to really understand the intricate nature of the photos. One of the people I was with bought a few of her photos. They were truly magnificent to look at under a light source. The gold really captures something in the photographs.

Chris Honeysett was another photographer who caught my eye. He does a lot of archtectural work, with a real concentration on composition. My favorites from him are the foggy golden gate bridge, and some of his water drops black and whites.

Jeff Laing is moving towards more sculptures, but I was really caught by his "Fireworks" section. This is flame painting on copper. Check out Crack in the Void, which is stunning.

Melissa Herrington's website is apparently not up and running yet, but her paintings are worth checking out once it goes up. I'll try to keep on top of this one. I think if I ever took my own painting seriously I'd like to try this style of old and warm looking comforting forms and abstractions.

Robert Burridge's paintings are colorful and eclectic. I was really a huge fan of some of them, but some were over the top even for me. Vibrant colors are definitely the appeal of the paintings, but you've got to be in the mood and have the right space for one of these works.

Thomas Barbey had some very realistic surrealist photographs, not to mention his website is elegant and a complete visual and audio experience. Tearful Encounter is my favorite. This website is definitely one to spend hours looking at and the superimposition of images is really fascinating.

I bought my photographs from Eddie Soloway. The website isn't the fanciest, but his photographs are exquisite. They are subtle, cerebral, serene, and evocative. My purchases were Iris, Tornado Prelude, and one other piece that's not on the website. The iris is so classic and it'll go perfectly in my bedroom, while the tornado one is just so haunting I couldn't pass it up.

So, that was my Sausalito Art Festival 2006 experience. I hope you all enjoy looking at some of my favorites. Let me know what you think. Oh, and happy anniversary to me.