Open Studios: Hunters' Point Shipyard Artists and beyond

So you can't afford Warhol? Neither can I. That's what open studios are for: checking out local artists at farmers market prices. Out of 200 tortured souls and starving full-time or recreational perpetrators, there's got to be one for you. Say, this "Shadows on road" by Carol Aust. Who knows? You might go home with a big canvas wrapped in butcher paper in the back of the car. Or a funky crafty something that does not even have a name.

Open Studios are fun. The problem - if you like them - is: they're quite confidential. Open studio season is a little bit like high school musical season. It comes in the spring and in the fall and it lasts only one weekend with very little publicity so that by the time you realize it happened, it's all over. Bummer. Unless ... said the Lorax, unless you have a good friend who's part of the exhibiting community and reminds you of your friendly duties. That was our case.

Last weekend we attended the Hunters Point Shipyard Artists spring 2009 open studios. This weekend, Marin opens up their studios with the Marin Arts Council Open Studios. At Hunters Point, we went directly to Building 117 studio 3216.

That's where Teresa Seran, New York city transplant turned San Francisco-based mixed media painter, practices her art. Standing in front of her latest series, she explained to me how a whirlwind of regular and metallic paints lived their own life on acetate-covered canvases. Teresa is a conceptual artist and gets much of her inspiration from roaming the Tuscan or Californian hills.

I'd never seen her studio before so that was enlightening and my girls loved picking their "favorites" describing what the paintings actually represented. That's the beauty of abstract art. It felt just like an art gallery on a smaller scale.

Other studios were very different. In fact, they were each their own different microcosm. Take Deborah Hayner, one of the most intriguing of the lot. Entering her studio felt like walking through a Macau Portuguese chapel except the priest has gone bezerk and lights up old dollies next to votives and old photographs.

As much as a lot of what we saw was deeply conventional, Hayner's art definitely stood out because it was fun and unconventional. Go check out her website's installations page, it's well worth the click. Very Joseph Cornell-ish.

Her object "Sweet Talk" is a metallic carousel of glass plates printed with red lips and out of each pair of lips comes out a bug. Talk about weird. She also has a weakness for Hunter Thompson (see typewriter at the bottom). I would have liked to see more of that type of funky thinking than pretty flowers in pots or trees on skyline backdrops.

Walking the long hallways of Building 101, we noticed a definite trend of some very gifted artists to varnish their paintings to make them look glossy. Stacy Dynan was one of them. Her whimsical style is particularly interesting.

She describes herself as "exploring the dynamic interplay between transparent and opaque elements, often applying her colors in dozens of layers to achieve the particular depth and radiance she desires." True, her paintings did have a silky depth and looked like they were springing out of the canvas.

Because it's my pet peeve, I think she'd make a wonderful children's book illustrator. Or would she? I asked that same question to Carol Aust featured above. Had she considered illustrating books for children? As a matter of fact, she had. However "publishing houses don't like to work with fine art artists," she told me. "They require too many changes that we are reluctant to make." I see how that could be a problem. The egg and the hen, the text and the illustration. Yes.

In a completely different category was Jenny Robinson, a Borneo-born UK transplant now living in San Francisco. She makes gigantic prints featuring derelict and mundane industrial or city structures. I find her prints absolutely fascinating. In her studio there was also a sort of super-rollercoaster that would have made a great set for Dark City. I wonder if her enlarged or projected scenes would be good backdrops for modern ballets. Probably would.

By the way, Ms. Robinson is a very tech-savvy person or knows one - I was not able to copy a work of art to illustrate my blog. However, go on her website and check out her industrial, bridges or landmarks series. What a trip; especiallly - and I'm not saying that in a derogatory way - if you are a sucker for graphic novels. Her work's out there.

Now, next time you see there's an open studio event in your neighborhood, don't be shy. Go through that doorstep. Artists are nice people. They don't bite. They're not necessarily trying to sell you their art. They want to show it to you. The rest is up to you.

NaPiBoWriWee: A Picture Book Writing Contest

You have until Thursday May 7 11.59pm PST (that's tomorrow night for you West Coast) to complete 7 picture books to honor the National Picture Book Writing Week initiated by Los-Angeles based author Paula Yoo. I just learned about the NaPiBoWriWee on Facebook through Chris Eboch today, at Day 6 of the 7-day contest. How's that for an incentive? Writing contests are great because they have the chopping block advantage. It's all about deadlines. I like the kick in the butt that screams "Come on now, stop procrastinating. It's writing time." News from Ms. Yoo's contest actually came on an auspiciously scribbly day. This morning at the DMV, I had to wait over an hour to ask for a car sticker. When I have that much time on my hands, writing is a therapeutic exercise. I took my notebook out of my bag and started scribbling away. I had been swimming in the rain at Brisbane's Community Pool so I started with a rainy rhyme: I went to swim under the rain, In the lovely city of Brisbane. Looked at it. What would Brisbane folks think of a rainy rhyme? While better than insane or plain, it's not as great as mane. Scrap the rain. I swam with Ben's hen in the city of Brisbane. A little absurdity doesn't hurt, but why exclude nearby communities? In the Bay Area, it's all about being local. I picked my brain until number B080 came up. I swam with Ben's hen in the pool of Brisbane. I surfed with Doug's frog in Pacifica's fog. I hiked with Paco's buffalo is San Francisco's Presidio. I biked with Mel's snail on San Rafael's trail. I climbed with Maddox's fox at Berkeley's Indian Rocks. I took Ming's red-winged bird iceskating at Santa Rosa's ring. Tough to find an animal that ends in -ing... Fortunately, B080 came up before I slaughtered Larkspur (that I wanted to rhyme with vulture) and Mill Valley (rhyming with osprey). Oh well. That's my notes of a DMV morning. And yes, I've completed a picture book manuscript today. It's called Bad Hair Day. With a title like that, I can already see it climbing the ladder of the New York Times' children's books best-seller list.

SCBWI: Spring Spirit - Davis Conference

The SCBWI Davis Conference 2009 has come and gone. It was a long day and as expected, I feel galvanized to keep on writing and keep on revising.

The carpool experience to the conference was great as I got to know author Mark Elkin (whose book comes out next spring with Tricycle Press) and author/illustrator Lea Lyon (pronounce "lea" as in "tea"), also coordinator for SCBWI San Francisco/South illustrator events.

The conference started with Diane Muldrow, an editorial director at Golden Books/Random House. With humor and perspective, she introduced the Little Golden Books series as an element of post-WW2 Americana (25 cents books anyone?) as well as a living books series to which many talented authors and illustrators keep contributing. As an example, she passed around several books amongst which the upcoming Ocean's Child by Trish Holland and Christine Ford, illustrated by David Diaz, a gem of a book whose lyrical text is beautifully illustrated with Inuit-inspired art.

Presenting several books in the series, she explained the "Little Golden" feel of a book: a lively book for children who are more interested by the crane down the block than fairies and elves, an exciting everyday experience that's new to a child. I'll certainly look at Little Golden books with a different eye now. Honestly until yesterday, I had no idea new titles were still published.

Ms. Muldrow was followed by Chris Eboch's presentation on virtual school visits, a most useful tool for authors/illustrators who want to stay home and offer school visits at lower costs. Better get used to Skype!

I was personally interested in Ms. Eboch's The Well of Sacrifice, a historical fiction novel on the Maya for ages 9-12 and bought a copy to read right away. Her upcoming series Haunted about ghosts also sounded intriguing.

Then, Sara Kahn presented on two German children's books museums (Troisdorf's picture book museum and Munich's international youth library), as well as Persian storytelling techniques.

There's no book conference without online talk now, so Linda Joy Singleton author of the Dead Girl series (and other paranormal series) talked about online book promotion. "This whole online world is keeping me out there," she said. As a matter of fact, she sells her books online, starting with a strong MySpace presence (more than 3,300 MySpace friends including fans of her books). She also blogs and following a recent trend in YA novels, created a book trailer for her book Dead Girl Walking. Yes, books like movies need trailers to attract the younger crowds.

Will picture books need animated trailers on Disney Channel or the Cartoon Network to attract book-savvy preschoolers? I hope not. Let books be books and let parents' voices fill the imaginary gap between page and text.

Next on the editor side came Kendra Levin, editor at Viking Children's Books who offered some heartfelt wisdom on the writing craft and the true inspiration of an author. Why do we want to write on a topic and why now? Being published feels nice, sure. However authors should also want to write the book because deep inside they have a story to tell. To overcome the writer's block, she advised to write a letter to a young person who really needs your book.

I found this very thoughtful. Book writing should not be about following trends and the big bucks (which, apparently, are a rare instance unless you're a celebrity like J.K. Rowling or Lemony Snicket).

She also compared the author-editor relationship to a love match, a feeling echoed by Nathan Bransford when it comes to the author-agent relationship. In short, take your time when choosing to work with one or the other.

Ms. Muldrow came back to speak as an author, as she authored a successful lift-the-flap board book called Mama, What's In There? where you lift a pregnant mama's belly to reveal her baby preparing for life. Aha! Now, that's a new concept.

A discussion ensued on what an author's voice is, a concept that's hard to explain. As I understand it now, the story is told through a unique person's perspective. If your character reacts as anybody else would in a given situation, then the character doesn't have a voice. There. Voice it, people!

Now I'm back in front of my computer and I feel partly depressed partly amped up. Breaking into (and maintaining yourself in) the children's book industry is no picnic. But my head is full of stories to tell, so I'll keep writing them until I'm actually paid not to write anymore.

Living History in Northern California

Today, someone from the Bernal Heights Parents Group asked if anyone knew of a "Living Museum" in the vicinity of the Bay Area. She is reading The Little House series to her 4 year old and would like to show her "an iron bellows, someone making wagon wheels, someone working on a loom, etc." I looked at the calendar and thought, "OMG, most state historic parks have their "historic days" celebrations around springtime. Time to get crackin'!" So here it is.

Where can you find crowds of costumed docents playing the banjo, dancing Russian polka or baking bread wearing funny bonnets in open air ovens? Let's go back in time.

My first choice in the Bay Area is first and foremost Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont. It's an 1870s historic farm in all senses of the term. There you go see a blacksmith at work in the forge, card freshly sheared wool with a docent who then spins it into yarn, listen to late Victorian live music or visit the "gingerbread Victorian" Patterson House. Check here for their special events, including the funky Scottish festival called Tartan Days. On regular days, you can partake in regular farm activities such as checking for eggs at the chicken coop or bringing hay to the livestock. Moving back in time.

Columbia State Historic Park is a real gold mine for Gold Rush fans. The town's 1850s business district has been entirely preserved with shops, two - working - hotels and restaurants. Since the park includes two hotels, the latter are very active in organizing theme nights such as the Gold Rush Fandango and Casino Night. Families are not forgotten with events ranging from History Mysteries Summer 2009 (investigate an 1850s crime) to Back to School 1861 (ring a bell, climb the old staircase to the upper floor or experience the 1860s class in session), or Lamp Light Tours of Columbia (early December only).

Nearby places that also feature living history days are the Empire Mine State Historic Park (whose garden and upscale Snow White-type Bourne cottage are well worth the drive), the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park (where it all began - the California Gold Rush that is) or Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park (a preserved gem of a one-street hamlet in the sierras).

For a bigger scale production, drive to Sacramento during Labor Day Weekend and enjoy Sacramento's Gold Rush Days, four days of Wild West re-enactment on dirt covered streets. Last year we thoroughly enjoyed the old-fashioned games, the dancing, the street battles and the precious old school with its quaint desks and black board. Moving back further in time.

How about .... early 1800s? San Juan Bautista State Historic Park is the largest of the California Missions, features the only Spanish plaza left in California and is where Hitchcock shot the dramatic scene when Madeleine falls from the tower in Vertigo. This weekend on May 2-3, San Juan Bautista will feature a California Indian Market & Peace Pow Wow to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. If you can't make it this weekend, each first Saturday of the month, the park offers Living History Days with docents dressed as miners, Civil War soldiers or stagecoach drivers. For a full-on family experience, check out the Early Days at San Juan Bautista on June 20, 2009. There will be a lotta' costumed docents walking by. Can we go back any further in time? Yes we can!

Fort Ross State Historic Park between Jenner and Sea Ranch is an 1812 Russian-American settlement. A favorite for school visits and camping overnights, Fort Ross is the southernmost Russian colonization outpost in North America and features a real fort. Inside you will find a beautiful (reconstructed) Orthodox chapel, an 1836 house, the army barracks, and blockhouses. This Saturday, May 2nd, 2009, Fort Ross will host its Spring Celebration also known as Krasnaya Gorka. If you can drive the 2.30 hours from the Bay Area, you will be rewarded with circle dances, games, baking and songs. If you can't make it on Saturday, July 25, 2009 (also a Saturday) will see the fort's Cultural Heritage Day celebration, a rememberance of Russian America as it was between 1812 and 1841.

For a radical move back in time, hit the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon on the first Sunday of each month for their Jurassic Day with live dinosaurs roaming the grounds and giant carnivorous plants rides on wheels. Just kidding! Don't contact the NPS for this.

Now, if you know of other living history days, feel free to share them by commenting below.

Bring Your Kids to Work Day

"So, what do you think I do at the office?" I asked my five-year-old after I took her to the Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day event at my office. "Hmmm, you do colorings all day?" Sure. How did she know? That's just the essence of legal work.

"How would you describe the office?" I asked the three-year-old. "Oh, it's just like home. There's plenty of doors and even a kitchen!" she replied. Okay. The idea behind this event is to make it "a successful day that strengthens the connection between education and work and relationships between parents and their children." Well, I guess it works better for older children than younger ones. Ha!

Mine are now convinced I spend my office days coloring drawings, playing on PBSKids online and eating cheese pizza for lunch. That said, they were very excited to see my work surroundings and they've been talking about it for days at school with their friends, which officially signs up my workplace on the cool list.

Was it a success? I think so - only not quite the idea behind the 1993 event. For them, it was a fun play date with new friends in a conference turned into an art studio. The event gathered 15 kids or so from 14 months through age 10.

The morning started off with a light breakfast and an office tour (which we missed). We joined the (younger) group when they were decorating carton photo frames with glitter glue, stickers and markers. They were filled later with a photo of the children with their parent. While the kids were doing art, some were being filmed and interviewed. Some even got hold of small video cams to interview adults around the office.

My girls stayed more low tech. After they were done spreading glitter glue all over their outfits and way beyond, they went on a office scavenger hunt. This was a really neat idea.

They had to gather in a blue bag: a blue pen, an office business card, a quarter, a rubber band, a piece of candy, a binder clip, an interoffice enveloppe, and Post-It's. The office supplies part was easy, it's mostly in one spot. For the business card, they just asked my boss. But the piece of candy? Everybody by the reception desk! That's where the candy stash is at. The children each pocketed a peanut butter cup or gum and completed the scavenger hunt, receiving as a reward a laser pointer pen.

Pizza was next on the agenda, after Wii bowling or Wii tennis playing for older children.

At the office's Toronto office, they were supposed to build a web page. Don't know if they succeeded, but that was pretty ambitious. What did your office do?

Bang Krachao: Biking through Bangkok's Green Lungs

Bang Krachao peninsula, known as Bangkok's green lungs, is a welcome breathing escape from Bangkok only a 10-minute boat ride from the bustling Klong Toey dock area. Think 11,810 rai of protected mangroves and orchards in Samut Prakan province just across the river.

How come the area is so pristine and undeveloped? Totally out of the way, Bang Krachao is tedious to access by car (count an hour's drive) and infrastructures are minimal. Very few roads, no tourist office, no detailed maps. Most people go there on organized bike tours but going solo is what we did.

Although the peninsula counts the 200-rai Si Nakhon Keun Kan park locally known as Suan Klang Central park, the area's most interesting parts consist of privately planted coconut tree orchards accessible only by foot, bicycle or motorcycle. Between (i) a man-made groomed landscaped garden with fountains, pedal boats and paved paths and (ii) a maze of elevated pathways going through a thick tropical forest, I go for the latter.

After I found more details on how to get there in the newly published Bangkok Guide for Kids by Kids in the "Biking" section, I organized the trip. The day before, we called a number to reserve bikes but we didn't find the same people on the other side so we improvised. Fortunately, we had our Thai friend Sim with us because it's non-English speaking land.

At Klong Toey Pier 7 next to Wat Klong Toey Noi, we boarded a long tail boat whose benches advertised ABC Amazing Bangkok Cyclist (B100 return trip). On the other side, there was a "Bike for rent" sign at the pier and we rented five bikes (B100 each) for adults. We had my two girls with us but since there were no child bike seats, two thick towels were strapped onto back racks for them to sit on and that was just fine.

Khun Piak, the rental guy, started the bike business a year ago. During the week he's a docker but at weekends, he rents bikes. He asked us where we wanted to go and we returned the question. Since we didn't know the area and there were no maps, that was an odd question. Thank God Khun Piak volunteered to guide us and led the way.

At first, he planned to take us to the floating market and started on the main road but then I asked if he could take us to the green areas. Sure he could. He veered left and asked how comfortable we felt following him. The only way to explore the forest is to bike on narrow pathways roughly 2 to 3 meters off the ground. No side protections, no railings, possibly human or motorcycle crossings. Any fall would end up in the mangrove.

I consulted with my group. While we were hesitant, we decided to give it a go and boy, were we rewarded. It was simply gorgeous. At first, we rode our bikes very cautiously. I was right behind Khun Piak and expected to hear a loud wet thump any time behind me. One of us had not ridden a bike for 20 years! Lo and behold, we held our ground.

Focusing on staying on track, we entered the mangrove. Coconut trees planted on terraced islands alternated with milky canals. Lush ferns loomed over us with areca nut trees, mango trees and banana trees. It was as green as green can be and we loved every minute of it.

Ideally we need to come back on foot to enjoy the landscape more peacefully. The "staying in the middle of the path" part was a bit stressful.

After many turns and unmarked intersections (don't go there without a guide), we reached the Bang Nam Phueng floating market. Had we not seen the back roads, this would have been the highlight of our expedition.

Bang Nam Phueng Talad (Honey Market) is a lovely low-key weekend and holiday market where traditional Thai confections and foods elbow natural herbs, plant-based cosmetics and fresh produce. I brought back mulberry green tea, dried roselle hibiscus flowers, safflower tea, dried nuts and blue flowers that can be used as tea too, as well as a jar of honey with a chunk of beehive in it and roasted coconut flakes.

Citronella and ginger liquid soaps were enticing but I already had too much weight in my suitcase. I also got sticky rice with mung beans and bananas steamed in banana leaves to satisfy a hunger craving, as well as a fresh coconut to drink. I was impressed by how neat and clean the market was. Judging by the looks we got, I'd say not too many foreigners venture out here.

Along the canal, wooden boats can be rented for B20 and some food vendors arrive by boat to set up small restaurants on the boardwalk. By the temple, a man sat behind five plastic basins with different fishes and turles. "If you release a fish in the water, it will take away your sins," explained Sim. For the fun of it, we scooped out four fishes and my girls kneeled by the klong to release them in the canal.

It was time to head out and Khun Piak took us back a different way, snaking through the Si Nakhon Keun Kan park back to the pier. As I said, I'm not a huge fan of man-groomed nature when there are alternatives around but it's a nice place for a family outing and I can see a Sunday picnic on the grassy lawns by the lake. Rental boats include pedal boats as well as kayaks. A few minutes later, our trip ended by the pier. It's right next to the park.

We were delighted by this green escape minutes from Bangkok's urban concrete inferno. Who would have known.... Let's hope Bang Prachao resists the real estate pressure. We saw quite a few new houses being built.

If you go there, do your part and be respectful of nature. It would be a shame to lose such a beautiful outing to capitalistic greed. Bangkok does not have that many green spaces to spare. This one should be protected and preserved.

Songkran 2009 in Bangkok

The anticipation leading up to Songkran is much like Halloween's. There's something scary outside your door and you've got to gear up and fend for yourself.

Songkran - the traditional Thai New Year - is a celebration of renewal, getting together and merit-making but it is popular for reasons not quite so lofty: getting doused on the streets. Just how much you get doused depends on your carelessness - or street fighting spirit.

Songkran is a water game for kids during the day and grown-up wet tee-shirt type partying at night (or during the day on Khao Sarn Road). Weeks before the three-day holiday, Thai markets are lined up with all sorts of water squirting devices, from the basic Mickey Mouse water tank backpack with hose and squirting gun to big bright bazookas. Brazen Songkran enthusiasts wait on the streets with a gardening hose or fill an inflatable swimming pool and buckets. Anybody who walks or drives in front of them gets the royal treatment: gallons of water and a talcum-based paste all over the body, preferably on the face.

Early in the morning of the first day, we got ready for our Songkran outing. Swimming goggles and sunglasses to avoid nasty eye squirting - check - waterproof shoes - check - easy drying clothes - check - no valuables - check too. As we got out on our soi, the news reported tanks in downtown Bangkok and clashes between police and protesters. Where we stay, the soi was unusually quiet. We almost thought we wouldn't be able to test our water devices.

Fortunately, walking around the neighborhood, we quickly found a few Songkran revelers, mostly kids, dying to get us all wet and plaster our face and body with the whitish talcum paste. My girls didn't like the talcum paste that much but water squirting was all right. We returned home after an hour, happy and wet.

The first two days, Songkran was very subdued because of the political crisis. It's not until after the red shirts left the capital that festivities really began full swing. Silom Road got closed off to car traffic as well as a few other tourist-dense areas.

The governor of Bangkok declared two extra days of Songkran holiday and people made up for the at-home days. At night, we crossed many pick-up trucks loaded with 20 people and more, drums, guitars and loudspeakers, everybody wet and merry singing their hearts out. When Songkran and booze don't mix too much, it's really a fun and uniquely Thai celebration.

The ultimate Songkran gadget this year? A squirting gun hiding behind a mini umbrella: squirt and stay dry! Well, sort of. I was able to photograph this one at Lumpini Park during our evening stroll but it was all over town. In case you're wondering, no you can't avoid the cutesy manga character with its stupid smile. Umbrella squirting guns don't come in Juicy Couture designs with pink shades. Songkran is about fun - not style. Watch this Songkran song to get in the spirit.

Siam Niramit: Broadway in Bangkok

Went to see Siam Niramit in Bangkok tonight. It's my third time. Second for my girls. Great and grand, as planned. Although I've seen it before, I still get a thrill from the majestic scenes and the guy diving in the stage-long canal. The sets and costumes designers did a beautiful job at illustrating Thailand's culture and traditions.

A sign o' the times though: the show was not even half full. A third maybe? Tough to keep filling up a 2,000 seats theater built for transient tourists when red shirts and other colored shirts are driving tourism away. That plus the crisis and you start wondering: how long can the creators of DreamWorld (if they are still in the deal) keep paying the 150 stage performers + technical crew to maintain Siam Niramit as a top notch 80-minute musical? It ain't gonna be easy.

I remember having seen two elephants on stage before. Now there's only one. Sigh. Where did Dumbo go? The sparkly paper butterflies showered from the ceiling at the end have been replaced with cheaper color paper clips. Too bad Siam Niramit can't keep up its promises four years into running. It was supposed to be a "cultural attraction that will add a classy touch of glamour to Thailand as a more desired travel destination." It's still worth the 1,500 Baths per seat and (by the way) small kids can sit on their parents' lap so you can save on family outings. But unless the producers tweak the show on a regular basis to fidelize a local client basis too, tourism has proven too unsteady an income source to save the show. It's time to rethink the act. Siam Niramit needs to live on - not just for the tourists.