Surrealdate 11- 8-8

Hopes/Fears at Works/San Jose

It was another fantastic evening at Works Gallery on Friday night. Several students and their families came by to see the show before it closed. There was music, art, food and fun! Nearly 600 people attended this exhibition. Four artists sold their work!

Surrealdate: 10-5-8

Hopes/Fears @ Works/San Jose

The reception for Hopes/Fears at Works/San Jose featuring the work of Herman students was fantastic. Over 200 people had visited the exhibit and that was once we started counting! The reaction from the art community was incredible. The overwhelming feeling from viewers was WOW! There were even offers to buy several art pieces from students!

Surrealdate: 8-22-8

Oakland

Rebel Soul Music Festival @Yoshi's featuring the incredible Martin Luther whose voice could melt butter. Smooth and beautiful and his soul shines through. He is the Marvin Gaye of our times his message is relevant and meaningfully delivered part James Brown, Neil Young with some George Clinton thrown in. Omega who was featured on Martin's last album proved her ground with the boys! The Kev Choice Ensemble was remarkable. These fine young men honor their musical legacy and yet embrace contemporary sounds with power to make it their own. Especially notable was the gifted and charming Steve Wyreman. He plays a SWEET guitar and his smile is sweeter. The show was so good we stayed for the second set. I had the opportunity to talk with the band between sets and found them to be gracious and genial. Codany Holiday's competitive interplay with Steve Wreman's guitar was note for note right on.

Surrealdate: 8-12-8

Cambria

We took off mid week for a spontaneous get away. We stayed at the Cambria Pines Lodge which was okay. I would have said great except for the ongoing construction that was underway and the kids the were running amok in the room above us at 7am. The lodge featured some talented musicians on both nights we were there. I really enjoyed meandering through the myriad of quaint shops and eating some very good food at the Moonstone Grill. We took in many vista points with the breathtaking sheer cliff drops,the sea life and the other critters. I love the sea. I don't think I could ever move away from the sea.

Surrealdate: 8-7-8

San Francisco

Doug and I hopped a train to the city for the First Thursday Gallery openings. Frida Kahlo and Lee Miller were at the Museum of Modern Art. I was really impressed with the life and work of Lee Miller. She had quite a life. She was a model, a war correspondant and an artist. She photgraphed dead SS officers, liberated concentration camps and then took a bath in Hitler's tub. She was an assitant and participant with the surrealist photographer Man Ray as well as his lover. I have never been a real fan of Frida. I feel her story is compelling however, I never connected with her work until I saw this show. It was one image in particular. In the self portrait she stares at the viewer as if pleading for help to end her pain and suffering. The eyes are light, almost luminescent which moved me to tears.

At the galleries on Geary I ran into my college professor Brian Taylor. I had not seen him in over 10 years. He looked great. We popped from gallery to gallery and then met up with Cassy, Doug's cousin. She's working for a high powered PR firm on Market Street. We went to dinner and the Levende Lounge which was absolutely fantastic! We stayed with her in her cool and misty Golden Gate house.

Surrealdate: 6-6-8

Adventures in Happy Hollow

Tonight I became the proud owner of a few precious remnants of my childhood memories from Happy Hollow. I successfully bid on several pieces of the Maze and one of the mirrors from Mirror House. I plan to use these items for artworks that I should begin uploading in the next couple of months.

Happy Hollow circa 1994