Kara Walker's "Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine)" will be ending soon at SFMOMA; go see before it's too late. The automatons remind me of frightening fairly tales of past days that continue to haunt us today. Grab a coffee, sit on the bench, and reflect on the past, present, and future.
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| Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine), Walker - 05/2026 |
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| Nasty Liberty, Esther Hernandez, YBCA - 5/2026 |
To illustrate the influence of "Femme au chapeau's" painting on the modern art world, SFMOMA included a whole gallery of other artists who painted their interpretation of Matisse's work. I found this painting by Mickalene Thomas to be stunning.
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| "Qusuquzah, une tres belle Negress 1" Mickalene Thomas, SFMOMA - 5/2026 |
CoWaBunGA
SFMOMA's new exhibit delves into the 1905 debut of Matisse's scandalous work "Femme au Chapeau" in the Paris Exposition. The radical use of color set apart a group of painters that changed the modern course of art. The artists were described as "les fauves" (wild beasts) for their use of non naturalistic colors to depict their surroundings.
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| Andre Derain, Matisse, SFMOMA - 5/2026 |
CoWaBunGA!
A big thank you to all who came out last night to check out local vendors and artists at the Old Oakland Summer Stroll. This will be a monthly event for the summer, so we hope to see you again.
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| Bill Jeng Studio at Old Oakland Summer Stroll |
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| Greeting cards for you? |
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| Thanks for visiting |
The last weekend for the "Postcards from Tahiti Show 2026" at the Fog City Java will be next week, 5/30/2026. If you are interested in purchasing these beautiful artworks, they will be available this Memorial Day weekend and next Saturday, 5/30/2026.
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| Postcards from Tahiti 2026 artworks available for sale |
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| "Chinese Take-out", "Donuts" - oil on canvas |
The Asian Art Museum San Francisco is hosting the Bay Area debut of Japanese-German artist Chiharu Shiota, "Two Home Countries". Shiota is known for her immersive thread-art installations; we've seen her work before at LA's Hammer Museum. Although the walk-through thread installation was impressive, I was equally intrigued with her previous performance work using herself as part of the art. In "Wall," Shiota, appearing unconscious, is laying on a tangle of clear plastic tubing as it is slowly filled with a red liquid, looking like blood.
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| Wall, Chiharu Shiota, Asian Art Museum SF, 5/2026 |
The audience is left wondering if this is a medical treatment or a science experiment gone wrong. It is very effective.
CoWaBunGA
While working on a ferry project for the GGBHTD, I was located in downtown San Francisco at the Ferry Building. This was when the Ferry Building had just been renovated with new shops and restaurants; it was fantastic. I enjoyed walking through the Building during lunch and trying to find a delicious meal for a reasonable price (although I really wanted to try everything).
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| SF Ferry Building, 5/2026 |
It hasn't changed much over the years, and it is still fantastic.
CoWaBunGA!
Along the busy Berkeley 4th Street shopping corridor, Tacubaya taqueria is a little oasis of tranquility if you get overwhelmed by the hub bub of the Apple Store and Anthropologie. It is nestled off the main drag and feels like you're in a different neighborhood, specifically Tacubaya district in Mexico City. On one recent busy day, I took a short break, ordered an aqua fresca, sat in the courtyard, and watched the diners enjoy their brunch on a beautiful day.
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| Tacubaya Berkeley, 5/2026 |
In association with E14 Gallery, I'm participating in Summer Stroll in Old Oakland. Parts of Ninth Street will be cordoned off so that vendors and musicians can set up pop-up booths and stages. This will be a celebration of Oakland and its local artists. I hope you can join us for a warm (maybe, fingers-crossed) evening, from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Here is a preview of my works for sale.
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| Lonely Pier, Old Bay Bridge - Oakland, 5/2026 |
CoWaBunGA
The hanging umbrellas cast a colorful hue along Ninth Street in Oakland, especially at night. See for yourself at the Summer Stroll in Old Oakland on May 22nd, from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.
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| Ninth Street night, Oakland - 5/2026 |
For Oakland Restaurant Week, we decided to try Bird & Buffalo located in the Oakland Temescal neighborhood. We've seen Bird & Buffalo while driving along Telegraph, but I thought it might be a BBQ joint serving chicken and buffalo meat; I was mistaken. It's a Thai eatery serving Thai street food, and it is delicious. To top off our meal, we were delighted by the neon motto displayed in the dining room - "Peace & Larb"!
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| Bird & Buffalo, Oakland Restaurant Week, 5/2026 |
The world needs more peace & larb...
CoWaBunGA!
I heard so much about Tony's Pizza Napoletana in North Beach, San Francisco, over the years but it wasn't until last year that I got to try their world famous pizza. Tony's is known as the home to Tony Gemignani, 13 time World Pizza Champion. The pizza lived up to the reputation.
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| Tony's Pizza Napoletana, North Beach SF - 5/2026 |
You might have to wait in a long line, but you won't be disappointed.
CoWaBuNGA!
Fog City Java is hosting my recent Tahiti sketches as part of my annual exhibition here in Pacifica. This show was inspired by recent travel to Tahiti where we enjoyed walking through the vibrant Papeete market, swimming with tropical fish, and relaxing at the beaches. The artworks are archival giclee prints of drawings from my sketchbook, but I enhanced each one individually with color pencil and ink; they are all framed and signed artworks.
If you are in Pacifica and craving some good coffee with a side of tropical art, stop by Fog City Java on Crespi Drive.
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| "Postcards from Tahiti Show, 2026" - Bill Jeng |
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| 11" x 14" framed artworks by Bill Jeng |
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| Greeting cards of "Postcards from Tahiti Show, 2026" |
On a sunny day, you can sit at the DeYoung Museum and look over at the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park and enjoy the beautiful greenery surrounding the building. It's really wonderful to have such a view in a crowded, busy city like San Francisco.
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| Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, SF - 4/2026 |
It's a short ferry ride between Moorea and Tahiti. If you're waiting for your ferry to arrive and it's a rainy morning, you can watch the clouds swirl around the mountain top and see the colors change in the foliage as the sun comes through.
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| Waiting for the Ferry, Moorea - 4/2026 |
Continuing my long-time association with E14 Gallery in Old Oakland, I am showing my works of Oakland sunsets in East Oakland. These are scenes along the railroad tracks by Fruitvale and 10th Street. The works are framed, archival giclee prints, enhanced and signed by me.
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| Oakland sunsets, E14 Gallery, 4/2026 |
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| Old Oakland during Friday Farmer's Market |
CoWaBunGA
Sometimes you stare into a fish tank and you wonder how these critters behave in the wild. Well, if you snorkel in Moorea off the island of Tahiti, you can see for yourself. If you're lucky, the triggerfish might even take a nibble on your toe to warn you that you're in her territory...
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| Swimming with fish, Moorea, Tahiti - 4/2026 |
With Monet paintings, they are very tricky to sketch because there are very little to no hard lines. The paintings are combinations of colors that create the image of the setting sun over the Venetian canal. Also, it's tricky because the exhibit at the DeYoung Museum, "Monet and Venice", was packed with visitors and I had to swap back and forth between two paintings of the Grand Canal in order to get the perspective I wanted to depict. Still, it's all about colors...
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| Grand Canal, Monet, DeYoung Museum, 4/2026 |
After a morning shopping at the Marche Municipal, Papeete, you can take a break at Cafe Maeva on the first floor. Cafe Maeva serves drinks, breakfast, and lunch and you'll be greeted by a friendly barista. So, put down your bags and get a snack.
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| Cafe Maeva, Marche Municipal Papeete, Tahiti - 4/2026 |
If you visit a tropical island like Tahiti, the protein to eat is fish. The fish is going to be fresh, most likely caught that morning, and the locals will suggest many recipes to cook that fish highlighting its unique flavors. Or, if you like raw fish, the locals prepare my favorite dish: poisson cru - raw fish mixed with coconut milk, fruits, and vegetables. You can find all kinds of seafood at the downtown market.
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| Fish vendors, Marche Municipal Papeete, Tahiti, 4/2026 |
The DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, is exhibiting Monet's paintings from his sabbatical in Venice. After hitting an artistic block, Monet went to Venice to figure out his approach to the water lilies series of paintings. This exhibit attempts to regather the set of paintings from Venice for the first time since they were first exhibited.
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| Palazzi Contarini, Monet, DYM - 4/2026 |
CoWaBunGA
The colors of the tropical fruits will dazzle you as you walk through Marche Municipal in Papeete, Tahiti. Some of these fruits can't be found anywhere else but Tahiti.
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| Fruit vendor at Marche Municipal in Papeete, Tahiti, 4/2026 |
Strolling through Marche Municipal in Papeete, you will be tempted by an assortment of treats from the local bakers. It's so hard to choose, but you cannot go wrong with pain coco. And, the price is pretty good too...
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| Bakers at Marche Municipal in Papeete, Tahiti - 04/2026 |
A woven handbag is a useful fashion accessory in Tahiti. It is stylish, versatile, and can be paired with most island wear. To see how these handbags are made, you can visit the Marche Municipal in Papeete, Tahiti and watch the basket weavers create one from straw.
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| Basket weavers, Marche Municipal Papeete, Tahiti - 4/2026 |
While shopping for refreshing tropical fruits, we noticed a two-story mural of island scenery at the Marche Municipal in Papeete, Tahiti. The colors captured the surrounding foliage and the images reminded us of the fishermen and farmers that brought the produce to this market.
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| Mural @ Marche Municipal, Tahiti - 04/2026 |
The rooster keeping me company poolside while I enjoy my mojito.
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| Tahitian rooster, 04/2026 |
Order a Mai Tai, sit on your lounger, and watch the clouds drift by at Le Tahiti Pearl Beach Resort. Now that's a vacation...
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| Poolside at Le Tahiti Pearl Beach Resort, 4/2026 |
Visited Tahiti recently to attend a niece's wedding. While waiting for the sun to come over the mountains, it was nice to sketch the my view of the black sand beach from our balcony.
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| Sunrise at Le Tahiti Pearl Resorts, 4/2026 |
Here's a blast from the past, about 20 years ago:
The previous owners of the house left me a cabinet with sliding front doors, a useful storage unit but not very attractive. Since we decided to use it as our art cabinet, I wanted to be able to see inside the cabinet to find materials for our art projects. Also, to upcycle the cabinet, I added trim to the cabinet box to make it more like furniture instead of utilitarian storage. Here are some highlights:
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| Art cabinet, left from previous owners. I added a raised skirt base and crown molding. |
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| Fabricated front double doors from scrap pieces of wood. |
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| Art cabinet, painted and test placement in basement art workshop. It fits well and can hold lots of art materials. |
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| Door glazing is one piece of acrylic plexiglass screwed into the back of the doors. Art materials are kept in tidy storage containers that just fit into the shelves. The doors close with magnetic catches. |
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| The cabinet door pull is from Home Depot, a decorative piece to add flair. |
Following up from my last blog, here is the installation of the front gable vent. With both front and back gable vents, there is air flow through the garage interior, reducing condensation and minimizing temperature variation. Here are the highlights:
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| Garage front, pre-installation of gable vent |
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| Gable vent placement with hole template |
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| Test fit to check final placement and plumbness. The garage has settled on the left side and the horizontal shingle lines are not quite level. I cut the hole slightly larger to allow for adjustments in placement in case the vent appears tilted. Luckily, only minor adjustments were needed to make the vent appear plumb and level. |
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| Hole cut into plank sheathing. The front was easier because there was no stud blocking the opening. So, it was a simple cut with a jigsaw. |
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| Gable vent installed with construction adhesive, reinforced with screws, and screw holes filled with sealant. |
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| Gable vent with touchup paint, complete. |
And now, for something a little different...
I noticed that the warm air inside the garage had no way to vent to the outside, causing condensation on the smooth surfaces on the ceiling. As part of my engineering and architecture training, we always strove to eliminate moisture buildup in the interior of a building because it is a source of mold and mildew. So, I'm installing gable vents to allow the warm air to pass through to the outside. Here are some highlights:
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| Back of garage, without a gable vent. I can feel moisture buildup on the smooth surfaces of the ceiling. This can lead to all kinds of water damage, mold, and mildew. |
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| Polyurethane exterior vent |
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| The prefab vent is a block of polyurethane, but I wanted to hide the cut shingle edge with a rabbet around the perimeter. This will allow the vent to hide any miscuts or imperfections around the shingles. |
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| Rabbet cut using my tablesaw. |
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| Using the vent mailing box, I created a template to trace the wall penetration. |
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| Placing the template to locate the vent. |
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| Since I don't own a multi-tool, I used a drill and chisel to "cut" the shingles within the template tracing. This takes longer than a multi-tool, but works well if you are careful with your drilling and chiseling. |
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| Shingles removed, wall sheathing exposed and marked out for penetration. One hurdle is that the opening is blocked by a wall stud. I didn't want to relocate the stud, so I left it in place and modified the hole. |
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| Sheathing cut, all exposed wood was sealed with primer. |
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| Vent installed with construction adhesive and reinforced with screws. |
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| I sealed the interior perimeter of the hole as a precaution for water infiltration. The bottom was not sealed to allow incidental water to drain out. |
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| Garage back gable vent installed and complete. |
CoWaBunGA!
