Sketches: Cizahaka, Inman, DYM - 8/2026

We were attempting to get into the DeYoung Museum for the Pharoah exhibit, but it was way too crowded and sold out. So, it was a nice day to peruse the permanent collection at the DYM. One painting that always captured my imagination was a portrait of Cizahaka by Henry Inman. The portrait depicts the handsome Cizahaka and the beauty of his dress, but I always wondered about the coloration of his skin - which to me looks a little too "red". 

Cizahaka, Henry Inman, DeYoung Museum, 8/2026

Nevertheless, the painting is beautiful and worth the visit to a crowded DeYoung Museum.

CoWaBunGA!  

Back-to-School Sale at Fog City Java, 8/2026

Walking into Fog City Java, I was hoping to see the new artist for the month of August 2026; but, the walls were bare. Amber and Bonnie explained that nobody signed up for August or September. We could not let that stand. Natalie and I put our artwork together and installed a "Back-to-School Art Show and Sale"

Bill's artwork sale

Natalie's salon style exhibit and sale

Stop in, grab a coffee and donut, take in the art, and enjoy the beach afterward.

CoWaBunGA!
 

Sketches: Animal vessels from antiquity, 7/2026

From the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Asian Art Museum (AAM), two vessels from ancient times show the relationship between artists and the animals that inspire them. These vessels could have been designed strictly to follow the functions of their use, but their makers incorporated animal forms into their design.

Crab vessel from Columbia, 1500 BCE

Rhino vessel from China, 1100 BCE

The animal kingdom has a deep influence on artists and makers since the beginning.

CoWaBunGA 

Old Oakland Summer Stroll - July 2026, Thank You

Much thanks to everyone who came out to the Old Oakland Summer Stroll last night. It was a fun party with food, custom cars, vendors, music, and art! Additional thanks to those who supported local artists and purchased an unique work of art.

Old Oakland Summer Stroll

 

The party was just getting started...

CoWaBunGA

Sketches: Messalina, Toulouse-Lautrec, LACMA - 07/2026

While visiting the new Geffen addition to LACMA, I ran into one of my favorite Impressionist painters: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Although from a wealthy family, Toulouse-Lautrec lived a relatively hard life due to his health and short stature. He haunted the underworld of Paris society, enjoying the theater, night life, and depicted those experiences in his paintings. 

Messalina, Toulouse-Lautrec, LACMA - 7/2026

Late in his life, he was inspired by the opera Messaline and painted six works of the opera. The colors are so rich and the depth of the composition puts you right on the stage.

CoWaBunGA
   

Sketches: Band, Serra, LACMA - 07/2026

Last year, I rode my motorbike to the Grand Canyon and made a stop to Sedona, Arizona, to see the red rocks. It was awe-inspiring and an unforgettable experience. So, when I revisited LACMA last weekend and saw Richard Serra's "Band," it brought me back to Sedona. 

Band, Serra, LACMA, 7/2026

To be immersed in the bands of cor-ten steel, with its "grains" of rust and rich orange/red hues, you feel like you're riding in the Sedona canyons again.

CoWaBunGA!  

Sketches: San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk, Monet - 7/2026

Amazing sunset colors within Monet's painting "San Giorgio Maggiore at dusk" - see for yourself at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco.

San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk, Monet, DeYoung Museum - 7/2026

You can see how Monet's trip to Venice broke his artist block.

CoWaBunGA!