Sheridan moved. He’s a vendor I rely on to create stands for my sculptural Fused Glass heads. I’ll tell you about those another time. The current address he provided wasn’t familiar in my usual travels. After preliminary research, I’m headed on a field trip, though this one is solo. Oh, I’ve lived in San Francisco. According to the San Francisco Planning Department, there are 36 officially identified neighborhoods. Within the area known as Hayes Valley, apparently a group determined large central streets receive names after prominent locals and smaller byways after botanical themes. I was looking for Ivy Street.

As an adult public transit traveller, I’m very aware of bus lines. I’ve friends when experiencing car trouble, who contact me to ask how to reach a destination using various modes of public transit in the San Francisco Bay area. My field trips when I lived in San Francisco, was staying on the bus until the end of the line. This gave me crucial knowledge. Yet, I coudn’t recall Ivy Street. I Asked Jeeves. That was a popular search engine which became Ask.com. Ah, of course, I need to board the 22 line. Ultimately, I reached and told my needs to Sheridan.

Chapter two, was a very unexpected experience on my trip home. A beautiful day, I walked in and out of shops. Then spontaneity brought me upon a byway where a dog show was taking place. Seeing the expressed love of humans with their dogs was memorable. I’ve loved two dogs, neither no longer apart of my life. Out came my camera. This took place well before cell phones.

Through the viewfinder, I first notice the event announcer has to be attentive to the excessive microphone cables on the ground. I anticipate they will be distracting and plan to omit them in my painting interpreting this scene. What I also see that will really be beautiful, is capturing the sun’s cast shadow of one of the dog’s owner. Since it is a dog show, I make note to crop the owner’s figure in my painting. I want to lead viewers’ eyes to travel down the legs of the owner to see the owner’s shadow. There is a stretched arm with the slighly raised hand. I remember holding a treat in this manner to tempt my dogs to stand on their back feet.

That completes a sentimental journey without any gloss. This is my typical process of interpreting photos.

Title: “Cmon Stand Up” Media: Gouache Painting on brown kraft paper; fabric mat in a wood frame 17.5″ h x 13.5″ w ; Original & Prints available (510) 823-9150 tomyegouache@sonic.net