Monthly Archives: March 2011

Drawing Lab-One

(drawing by me, Sarah age 43)

30 Cats in Bed? What prey tell is this all about? Well, my daughter Emily and I are participating in a project called 52 Drawing Lab that is being hosted by my friend Angie over at Angie Allen over at angieallen.com (formally Jumping Jack Designs) Each Thursday she will be posting a drawing lab from the book with the same name by Carla Sonnheim and she is inviting you to come along on a “raw creativity” journey…..

Our first project for 52 Drawing Lab was to draw 30 cats in bed….We both did that or at least I did….I have to say it was difficult. I don’t particularly like cats and Em is allergic to them so it was difficult for us to feel much passion about these little critters. One cat that I like is the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland and my most recent memory of him is from Tim Burtons version. I chose to call him Chester and he is shown above with his wild and crazy grin…

(Drawings by Emily-Age 9)

Em chose to take our naming process a little further and named each of her cats…My favorite: Mo and then her version of  the Cheshire Cat (Mr. Chester) Not so sure about Larry on the right, he reminded me of Lilo from Lilo and Stitch but she assures me that it is a cat…..She named all her cats–some of the names: Mr. Angry, No Name, Hippy, 1950′s Girl, Rocky and Elvis–My favorite name: Mr. Body (a cat drawn without a head) She chose not to complete all 30 saying that “I am allergic to cats mom, I don’t want to draw 30 of them” and off she went……

Have a great Thursday everyone…..

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100 Wednesdays Weeks 3 and 4 Paintings

Its been a few weeks since Get Your Paint On finished but I wanted to make sure that I shared my final projects with you. This week I have Weeks 3 and 4 and once I complete week 5 I will post it for you.

Week 3 was all about color. Lisa and Mati introduced us to some amazing artists and one that really caught my attention was Beatriz Milhazes. If you click on her name I have linked it to a page of images on google. Beatriz is a Brazilian artist that started as a collage artist. Over the years she has begun experimenting with how paint can be used as collage. Many of her pieces have large circles that she paints onto some sort of plastic medium, waits for them to dry and then adds them to her painting.

I have added an image of her work from my sketchbook and all the paint palette I chose for this weeks particular painting. My thought process in creating the piece with the quail was to create something strictly with paint and no collage attachment to it (as Lisa challenged us to do so) I experimented with layers and color and small detail with a paint brush. The result is the piece you see in the lower left corner above.

Week 4 was all about composition and looking at your pieces in a different way. Along with composition come basic design principles of harmony and balance. For me it was fun to take a step back and rethink what composition is all about. Also during the research for this week my Creative Coconuts group was in deep discussion over the word “Balance” and what that means to an artist that juggles many things in their day. I chose to include the word “balance” in my piece for the Coconuts and wanted to practice writing with a paint brush. My color palette stayed similar to my other pieces and I have included a page from my sketchbook that shows a thumbnail of my painting.

During this process, I have learned a lot about picking up a paint brush again. I have chosen small 8×8 gesso boards as my medium to paint on and have limited my paint palette so that I can experiment with how the colors go together. My pieces are also relatively simple so that I can obtain a sense of completion. My kids have also painted with me throughout the course and we have found something we truly enjoy doing together.

Hope you have a enjoyed a peek into my painting. Have a great Wednesday everyone….

 

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2 days in San Francisco – part two

Part two of 2 days in San Francisco–Hayes Valley

Last week, you will remember we left lunch at Nopalito and headed over to Hayes Valley for an afternoon of exploring and shopping. this has become my new favorite neighborhood for walking and discovering. Great shops, restaurants, off the beaten path favorites and some really cool design shops.

The easiest thing for me to do is list everything we visited and provide links for you so that you can decide on your own explorations…..

Our favorite stops:

patxispizza- Hayes at Octavia (511 Hayes St.-415-558-9991)–awesome Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza…Being a Chicagoan I can truly say pretty darn authentic…It is hard to find a good pizza on the west coast but when you do it is memorable

Miette (449 Octavia Street-415-626-6221)an awesome candy shop shown in the first 4 photos above…This store reminds me of my childhood as my grandmother had a friend that owned a lollie shop in Canberra, Australia that we would frequent as children and the owner would let us pick out whatever we wanted….It is also just a beautiful, stimulating display of color and texture the moment you walk through the doors. A must….

Fiddlesticks (540 Hayes Street-415.565.0508)this is hands down the best children’s clothing store we have been in for a long time…they carry Tea Collection which is a wonderful San Francisco based designer… and the staff was exceptionally helpful in selecting a few cute spring outfits for my daughter.

Timbuk2 (506 Hayes Street-415.252.9860) a stop here for my teenage son and his birthday gift-a messenger bag to carry a his computer. These guys were extremely helpful and the shop was really cool to explore…..

birch (564 Hayes Street-415.626.6860) a very beautiful flower shop and also the product of the last three photos above…the design of this shop and the flower arranging was spectacular…I especially loved the little bouquets created for the front stoop of the store. They were charming….

Lotus Bleu(325 hayes street) a great source of colorful fabrics, rugs and design accessories are available here..a really enjoyable and stimulating for anyone that has an interest in design….all products are also very affordable

Zonal (568 hayes street-415.255.9307) this is also another great design shop especially if you are on the lookout for architectural details, primitive furniture or turn of the century iron products. A lot of local artists are featured in the shop.

Lili Merveille (552 hayes street) a beautiful french boutique that carries babies and children’s clothes, women’s jewelry and french candy.

Once you are done with all of these fabulous shops it is time for what one local told us was the best cup of coffee in San Francisco. One block south on a little street called linden street you will find a coffee kiosk:

Blue Bottle Coffee (315 linden street) awesome stop for a quick cup of Joe…

a few steps down from blue bottle is another amazing interiors shop:

Tazi Designs, Inc. (333 linden street) is a showroom filled with imported Moroccan goods including furniture, accessories, mirrors, lighting and of course leather poufs. I could have spent hours exploring but kids were tired and it was time for us to head back to our hotel.

That evening we stayed within walking distance because if you know San Francisco, you know when it rains it is impossible to get a cab. Coming from Chicago this has always frustrated me but we went with the flow and headed out for Italian.

Ristorante Umbria (198 second street-415.546.6985) loud, authentic Italian cuisine. The restaurant was packed but the wait staff very accommodating for our group.

After filling up on great pasta we headed back to the hotel for rest and discussed all our finds for the day. Full tummies on board we slept and woke for day two in the city….

Union Square and the Mission District

The next day we woke early eager to explore before heading back to Reno. A huge snow storm was hitting the Sierras as we woke so the decision to head back was on hold as I80 was closed due to the weather. A brisk walk up towards China Town for breakfast and some Union Square shopping held us over….

Another favorite for breakfast:

Cafe de la Presse (342 grant avenue-415.398.2690) definitely a tourist spot but what I enjoy about it is the cafe au lait, the international design magazines and the international stream of customers heading in and out of the restaurant. We have had great conversations with New Zealanders, Australians and many others arriving in the States to start their travels.

After breakfast, we usually like to explore the city. On this particular visit we took my sister for some “American” clothing and window shopping. Part of what we enjoy is just getting out and walking. We have no particular destination in mind but for us that is part of the fun. We are not scheduled or rushed we just take in the city sites and vibe and enjoy everything it has to offer. After hours of exploring, we headed back to check out of the hotel and still not able to make it over the pass decided to head to the Mission District for a late lunch and a little more exploration.

Our lunch:

Tartine Bakery (600 guerrerro street-415 487 2600) I can’t even begin to explain to you how good this restaurant and bakery is…it is a must on your next visit to the city. The sandwiches, drinks and desserts are incredible and there was a line the entire time we ate our lunch. We decided to bring home dessert (a couple of chocolate eclairs and a chocolate pudding to share) and headed down the block to one of the areas best ice creameries…

Bi-Rite Creamery (3692 18th St-415. 626.5600) small batch, organic ice cream and soft serve…my favorite flavor of the day: salted caramel…..awesome treat

In addition to the ice cream shop, Bi-Rite Market has been serving the community since 1940 and supports local growers and organic farmers. We picked up some miniature mandarins for the ride home and decided to head back to Reno.

All in all a fantastic two days of exploring in San Francisco. We have been coming to this city since we moved west 11 years ago and I would have to say it honestly takes that many years of visiting to even start to uncover neighborhoods, restaurants, walks, art galleries etc.. If you have any favorite spots in this wonderful city please share them in the comments as I will be creating a city guide for the blog and would love to include your spots…Hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into a fabulous west coast destination…..

 

 

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A New Day

The sunrise can truly remind us what a gift each and every day is here on this earth can’t it? While I finish up a few great posts for this weeks blog I give you this image to remind you to stop every now and again and enjoy the beauty surrounding you, the people surrounding you and the love and support you receive from close family and friends…..Have a great Monday everyone…

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2 days in san francisco-part one

People are always asking what I do when I travel. So I thought it would be really fun to start sharing pieces of my trips from a “design” perspective. I love food, flowers, neighborhoods, art, design, and shopping when I go away. We have lived on the west coast for 11 years now and having come originally from Chicago I need neighborhoods when I travel so this most recent trip was to San Francisco to pick up my sister who was flying in from Australia. Basically, two days in the city…What should you do when a trip to the International Terminal at the San Francisco Airport is part of that trip? Well sit back, get your beverage of choice and let me share two days in the city with you.

First of all, we drive to San Francisco, so we travel over the Sierras and Donner Summit, through Sacramento, Davis, Vacaville, Fairfield and the outer suburbs of the East Bay and then cross the Bay Bridge and come to the city where we like to stay in the SOMA District (or South of Market as it is called) There are plenty of great stops along the way which I will devote another post to but for today I will focus on SOMA, Hayes Valley, The Airport and part of the Mission District.

Day One: We are going to be picking up my sister from the airport. She lives in Melbourne, Australia and I have spoken of her many times on the blog. So before heading to pick her up we need breakfast. If you ask any hotel concierge in the SoMa District they will probably direct you to Denny’s or some other very touristy spot. We however, like to go to The Grove- 690 Mission Street. There are several of them in the city, with the original being on Fremont Street (It is awesome but very crowded) so we were excited to see a new location just steps away from our hotel. Upon entering the restaurant, you automatically get a welcoming feeling. Amira greets you and stops and chats with you so you feel right at home. The food is second to none and I highly recommend the cafe au lait shown in the photo above (and I am not usually a coffee drinker-except when I travel) My kids ordered french toast which is made with thick bread and my husband and I ordered eggs. This was a great beginning to a busy day at the airport and beyond.

So what exactly do you do at San Francisco International Airport when you are picking up an international traveler. the first thing is to know that the arrival time posted on the arrivals board is the time the plane lands but not the time that your guest will walk through the doors of customs….Allow about 1-1/2 hours after the arrival time for that to occur. Not knowing that as I am usually a passenger arriving (not picking up) you will need a couple of kid distractions to keep you going unless you pre-plan to arrive later. The great thing about this airport is the architecture and the artwork displays on the main departure level aptly called the SFO Museum. At either end of the terminal are pottery and ceramic displays and in the middle there is a rotating display ( I have seen ballet costumes from the San Francisco Ballet and on this visit their were ancient masks from Mexico and the Pacific) The coolest display I think though is at the back of the terminal and was created by Ik-Joong Kang and is called Gateway. Each piece is a 3×3 painting, wood carving, tile or acrylic cube and each were created on long commutes to and from school and work. The size was perfect to fit into his bag and the time long enough that he could create a piece while he traveled. You could take hours looking at the different pieces and it is surprising how many little details can occur in a 3×3 space. In addition to the museum, there is a satellite shop for SFMOMA that has a great selection of design and art related items (not your usual airport gift pick up here). So after a fun morning looking at art, my sister finally arrived. Hungry for lunch, we headed to one of our new favorites in San Francisco-Nopalito.

Nopalito sits at the base of Haight-Ashbury or Lower Haight- 306 Broderick at Fell. (415)437-0303. This was our second visit here. The last time was with good friends that introduced us to it at Christmas time for dinner. This time we arrived in early afternoon, so we chose from the lunch menu. The staff here is extraordinarily accommodating for food allergies-gluten, shellfish, nuts etc. and everything on the menu is made from organic and sustainable ingredients. Our favorite dish-Enchiladas de Mole con Pollo (aka chicken enchiladas with mole sauce) and to share: Empanada con Deshebrada de Ros- beef in a masa pastry. Note: they do not take reservations here but are accommodating to large parties so call ahead. Great food, just writing about it makes me want to go back…..

After lunch, exploring Hayes Valley was at the top of our list…..But I will leave you there for now..stop by again tomorrow for 2 days in San Francisco-part two where we will explore Hayes Valley…..have a great Monday everyone…

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Good Design Friday

(Nevada Museum of Art)

For the past year I have been toying with ways to bring my design background to the blog. I finally come up with what I feel is my best way to share design with you. On Fridays, beginning today I will give you a few products, sites, shops, museums that I feel exhibit “Good Design”. What do I mean by “good design”…well my definition of good design begins with overall branding, concept and delivery of something from start to finish; it can be a product, it can be a space, it can be a piece of furniture or even a place to visit. It is a feeling I get when I am surrounded by something that just works..It just is “good design”…So what will I share with you today….

1. The Aeron Chair by Herman Miller-As a designer, I specified this chair on 95% of my projects. It was designed by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick and was the chair I sat on at work every day.

2. Aesop a skin, hair and body care company from Australia. I use two of their face and body products because they are made from plant based ingredients. Their products and their philosophy are what keep me coming back for more.

3. Nevada Museum of Art the local art museum here in Reno that was designed by renowned architect Will Bruder. I love visiting this space even just to look at the architectural details.

4. Sina Pearson Textiles a beautiful line of indoor and outdoor fabrics that I often use for color inspiration.

5. Orla Kiely wonderful English designer that creates bold graphic prints.

I hope you enjoy visiting “my world” of design and hope it sparks some creativity in you as well. Have a great Friday everyone, see you back here Monday, where we will explore “2 Days in San Francisco”

 

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Happy St. Patricks Day

(leprechaun trap circa 2010 designed by Emily)

St. Patties Day Corned Beef and Cabbage from Sarah G. Stevenson on Vimeo.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone. Leprechauns, green beer, corned beef and cabbage and St. Patrick himself…all reminders of this fun Irish event that is March 17. In our house we have a tradition of Corned Beef and Cabbage which I am sharing with you in a video (my first video for the blog) So come along with me today and see how I make this yummy traditional dish…..Have a great Thursday everyone….Enjoy

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Blogging For Lila

 

Hi everyone…today I would like to introduce you to a very special friend of mine, Lila. Lila is the daughter of my friend Maria and her husband Matt. Maria and I worked in Chicago for a large interiors firm and later both moved west to the Reno/Tahoe area and we have known each other for about 15 years. Maria is also, the owner of emkadesigns a local interior architecture and design firm. A few years after moving west, Matt and Maria gave birth to a beautiful girl that they named Lila. Lila has cerebral palsy and Maria and Matt are hoping to raise awareness of her disease, which is why I bring you their story today.

“Lila is a beautiful 4-year-old girl, who lives with cerebral palsy and hasn’t been given a fair chance at life.  We, Lila’s parents, are on a quest to give her that fair chance by allowing her to have a stem cell treatment this coming summer.

Since birth, Lila’s cerebellum has been growing at a slower rate than the rest of her brain.  The cerebellum controls a multitude of things that we all take for granted (i.e. balance, coordination, emotion, muscle tone, muscle control).  The majority of Lila’s issues are physical, as she walks with a walker, has no balance or coordination, and has low muscle tone.

Stem cell treatments with CP have been proven to help the child with speech annunciation, balance, strength, and increased levels of cognitive abilities.   In every child, the levels of these changes differ, however they have all been seen time and time again.  If these changes are all we see in Lila, this will certainly change her life forever, and you will have helped!

All of that being said, she is a very happy little girl who seems to shine a light on everyone she comes across.  There are people in our community that know and love her, whom we don’t even know!  I seem to believe it is her smile that captures everyone’s hearts, as she has ours.   What a special little girl, one that has taught us how to love unconditionally, to not take the little things for granted, and to know that each little milestone is truly a really big milestone!

We love her so much and just want to give her a chance for a more “normal” life.  For Lila that means that she may have the chance to have a college education, career, marriage and a family.  Our goal is to raise $20,000 by mid-June, however we hope to surpass that goal give Lila have a second treatment after one year, which is recommended by the doctors and could benefit her tremendously.  We hope that you all will join us on our journey, and embrace our little girl just as we have!” (as told by Maria)

To read more about Lila’s journey you can connect to mommyyouknowwhat? from my sidebar or by clicking on the link. By bringing this story to you today, it is my hope  to help Maria and Matt bring awareness to their daughters disease and help them in their journey to receive stem cell therapy for their child.

One way I have offered to do this, is by sponsoring a Blog Hop in honor of Lila. The idea of the blog hop came about during discussion with a special group of artists called the Creative Coconuts. During the month of April, if you have a blog, you can sign up to participate in our blog hop, Blogging for Lila….As you can see from the smiles on this child’s face our tag line for the hop will be: “blogging for hope, blogging for awareness, blogging for smiles”

Even if you don’t have a blog, you can follow along during the month and be introduced to some amazing artists. Artists that feel it is important to give back…Just click on the Blogging for Lila tab at the top of the page to see who might be joining in that day….

If you would like to participate:

1. pick a date in the month of April that you would like to write your post. (begininng Monday, April 4 and ending Friday, April 29.

Just click on the link below and place your name and link to your blog on a calendar date. Feel free to blog on the same day as someone else if you wish.

Blogging For Lila Calendar (click on the month of April at the bottom of the calendar and then add your name and blog link to the calendar)

I will also add your name to the Blogging for Lila list that has been created under the Blogging for Lila link at the top of the blog.

2. share your thoughts on giving back-who you are and why  you are blogging for Lila-share your work, write a post, what ever your creativity leads you towards

3. introduce the blogger for the next day with a link to their site

4. Link to Mommy, you know what?

5. Link back to what is design?

Most importantly, thank you so much for participating in this wonderful blog hop and thank you for bringing awareness to this therapy and research. (Please note: all photography of Lila has been provided by Maria B.)

Have a great Wednesday everyone…

Feel free to grab a blog button as well: (link it to: www.sarahgstevenson.com/blog)

 

 

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