Lichen Lines

 A color palette inspired by the lichen covered trees in Golden Gate Park.

Oak Woodlands

The story of Golden Gate Park is of a windswept landscape of dunes that 150 years ago were transformed into 1,107 acres a public park.   As beautiful as the park is, it is essentially artificial.  The waterfalls, the gardens, the redwoods, the meadows — none of it was there before.  Thanks to irrigation, horse manure and gardening, the natural landscape was transformed.   And while I appreciate coastal dunes, it’s hard to argue with Golden Gate Park — it is the escape from urban life we all need at times.

But the story has a twist.  This week I visited unspoiled nature with a lovely walk through some typical California oak woodlands.   Hiding in the northeast corner of Golden Gate Park, generally overlooked by most visitors, is a magical place.  A pocket of the original landscape that was never altered. 

It is difficult to capture the woodlands in photos or a painting, but it was worth a try.

Civic Center — Back to Nature

Grove Street

mixed media photo collage on board, 18”x14”

Imagining the busy corner of Grove and Van Ness a few hundred years ago.  Perhaps when there was still a grove of oak trees.  Long before our beautiful City Hall was built and before the Henry Moore sculpture was placed in front of Symphony Hall.  This Time Travel Photo captures the past and the present. It even features one of the Beaux Arts light poles that may no longer be part of the streetscape in the future (read about the controversy here).

This is the final piece from my new series of Time Travel Photos.  They will all be shown at San Francisco’s Glama-Rama Salon and Gallery.  The show runs from October 11 to November 27, 2016.  The opening reception is on the evening of Saturday, October 15 at 7:30 pm.