photograph by Shaun Roberts
The details of Brett Amory’s journey from skateboarding in Chesapeake Bay to making art in the San Francisco Bay Area are well chronicled. Dormain Geyer profiled Brett on Arteaser and there are published interviews in Fecal Face, MyNinjaPlease.com and Sour Harvest. Brett interviews very well. The story of how he moved from skateboarding and snowboarding; to studying film making; to formally studying drawing; then, transitioning to painting is a fascinating story. I encourage everyone to read the profile and the interviews.
When we recently met, we started to re-visit the biographical details of his journey from Bay to Bay. I was duly taking 
notes, but realized that I was about to write a story that had already been written several times. So we changed directions. We began talking about the paintings that are currently showing in a group show: “Tri-Product” at Fabric8 Gallery here in San Francisco. This is the gallery where I first really noticed Brett’s work over a year ago. There is something about his paintings that resonates with me on a visceral level, and this is what we decided to explore.
The current series at Fabric8 are part of a larger body of work collectively titled “Waiting”. The first paintings in the “Waiting” series were straight-forward, graphic representations of the people he observed when commuting. He worked on these paintings from 2000 – 2003. In these first works, he more or less painted what he had detailed in the photographs that he had taken. The process was heavily informed by his professional work in Photoshop. As he points out, “Photoshop and computer manipulation are a huge part of why I’m an artist. I started doing Photoshop manipulations before I started painting and that was one of the things that got me into painting. So, I always wanted to tie those two things together”. After 2003, he moved on to several new series of works, experimenting with different mediums and techniques. Then, in 2007, he returned to the “Waiting” series.
The new works are anything but straight-forward. Where the first works in the series were more or less “what you see is what you get”; the new works really explore emotionally the original subject matter. What had first grabbed Brett’s attention when he started chronicling the commuters waiting for their chariots was the disconnect between their mental and physical locations. They were standing waiting for the bus or train, but they were really someplace else. Now, with a renewed energy, Brett began to explore that emotional landscape more intensely.
“Waiting 23” is one of the first works painted after he decided to re-visit the series in 2007. Three older women are waiting at a bus stop near a café. Brett is particularly drawn to older people who may have had a hard life. For him, they seem to be part of a different era. They dress without 
regard to modern fashion. Their thoughts do not seem to be rooted in the here and now. In this painting, he portrays the “here, but not really here” quality of the bus stop figures by actually repeating the same figure three times on the bench. He then separates them from their surroundings graphically with a lighter pink background. The figures are juxtaposed with the more fashionably attired young couple at the café, who are more clearly present both in the scene and in the “now”. Stylistically, the painting is transitional, strongly referencing the graphic design roots of the earlier series. It is much more tightly constructed than the other paintings in the show.
With “Waiting 48”, Brett is starting to, in his words, “let go of technique”. There is still a short film quality to the work. The figure walking along 14th Street is
repeated three times. He passes by three girls standing and impatiently waiting for a bus. He passes by a woman seated on the street, a figure that Brett uses in several of his paintings. The real world woman is often seated on the street near Shooting Gallery on Larkin Street. She has lived a hard-scrabble life. She is rooted in her spot on the sidewalk, but her thoughts are miles away. The man walking along notices none of them.
In “Waiting 49” three figures wait at a bus stop in an abstracted landscape. The figures are also more abstracted. Brett paints in twenty minute sessions. He composes in Photoshop. Then he broadly lays in the composition on the painting. He adds in the figures. He paints them over. He adds them back in. It is subtraction by addition. Pushing and pulling. The final work seems simple, but as we both agreed – simple is difficult.
In many ways, the most interesting of the paintings in the current show is “Waiting 50”. The house in
the painting is actually the house that Michael Jackson grew up in. Brett found an image of that house in a magazine. This is the one-bedroom house where, as Brett put it, “everything started”. Brett is also a musician and there is a clear fascination with the Michael Jackson’s roots. He populates the landscape again with the woman from Larkin Street. Here she is both panhandling on the street. But she is also the ghostly presence on the doorstep of the house. The ghostly separation of the house is emphasized further by the dramatic use of negative space in this work.
all paintings photographed by Almac Photography
The final painting in the show is “Waiting 51”. Another figure is waiting at the bus stop. This painting has the most prominent use of the childlike figures sprinkled throughout the painting, like Easter eggs waiting to be discovered. Interestingly, the childlike birds, dogs and flowers are actually copies of drawings made by children. They are drawn in with graphite and not readily apparent. The idea is that the more you look at the painting, the more you will discover.
All of which brings me back to what is about Brett’s work that resonates with me? Some of his influences that we discussed were painters like Edward Hopper and photographers like Todd Hido. Like those artists, the works are ruminative without being specific. They capture the peculiar quality of aloneness that is unique to metropolitan life.
You can currently view Brett Amory’s work at Fabric6 Gallery through November 30th. He is also in group shows at Gallery Heist, opening November 14th and at Double Punch Gallery opening on November 21st. Or, you can contact Brett through his website to arrange to view works at his studio.
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Liz Mamorsky’s work is a trip. Living through the late 60’s and early 70’s, I know a trip when I see one. I distinctly remember sitting on my bed, watching a montage of 
r signature drawing and painting style, forms mysteriously emerge “from a tangle of brushmarks, spills and splatters, randomly applied to the stretched canvas, obliterating the oppressive whitespace”. Those forms seem to live and breathe. I was very intrigued with her techniques. With painting, she lays down the color and form abstractly. She then spends a lot of time contemplating the result. Human beings are hard-wired to see patterns in seeming chaos. It is why we see animals dancing across the sky in cloud formations. It is why we see the Man in the Moon. So, as Liz contemplates her painting, faces and bodies - both human and animal – take shape. She re-works the painting and the strongest impressions ultimately define the final painting. 
Liz’s drawings are similar, but also different. With the drawings, the surface is not a blank canvas. She draws on amate bark. The texture of this remarkable bark is already etched with distinct patterns. Again making art is a contemplative, meditative process. But here, she coaxes her images out of the existing texture. The drawing is surprising meticulous. But the result is once again psychedelic. Liz describes them as “little dreams or haikus dancing in the realm of the psyche”. 
would lay them out on her studio floor, rearranging the parts until something anthropomorphic suggested itself. The results are great fun. Most importantly, she has enjoyed meeting the collectors and fans of the artbots. It is, as she says, “like going to geek camp”. For the past two years, she has competed in the “Artbot Division” of 
This weekend, over 200 artists will be opening their studios from Third Street -> SOMA -> Downtown -> over to North Beach. It is a daunting journey, but if anyone is up for the challenge, it is me. And, once again, everyone is asking “So Mike, where are you off to now?” 
Hidden away on a small street just off 9th, is Liz Mamorsky’s magic castle. I never ever miss her openings. It is a really fun place to visit. And, her husband is in the wine business so the house wine should be just wonderful. I will be kicking off Weekend Three tomorrow (Friday) with a profile on Liz, so check back tomorrow morning!
Departing SOMA , I head out to the industrial section of San Francisco just off Third Street for two last studios. First up, the mostly sculpture studio fronting on Islais Creek. Over a dozen artists have open studios. I featured 
Continuing further south on Third Street towards Candlestick, I am finishing the night at Public Glass. They say that they are only staying open until 9pm, but I am hoping the party turns into an after-party. It’s been known to happen. This studio is a real crowd-pleaser with hot glass generally being blown. You may want to come back, in fact, next weekend for the Halloween Party on the 31st! Hot Glass, Cold Beer makes another appearance. Make a donation; get a hand-blown mug; use it to drink beer while you watch the glass blowers perform their alchemy. 
Hot Studios is a design studio, founded by Maria Giudice. an artist and calligrapher. It will open its doors for the second year in a row and exhibit artwork created by its employees: 
My guest also designs ceramics, so we will be stopping by The Clay Studios. Most of the clay artists are pretty traditional, but Jane Grimm, whose work is prictured here, is definitely not. I try to visit her studio every year to see her new works.
Well, this is not SF Open Studios. However, I love this store and it is not too far out of the way. More importantly,my guest for the day, YokoUeno Lewis, has designed some of the ceramics in the store from Bee House. And, she has never been to the store. It will be fun to introduce her to Lisa Congdon, the proprietor (and a talented SF artist herself).
This building houses some outstanding artists and it is well-worth visiting. Iwill be stoppin by to visit 
One of my favorite artists, 
begins as a chronicle of that journey. What makes her work more interesting for me, however, is the inevitable departure from that original story. The early photographs are clear photographs of people, places, things. They are easily comprehended as pictorial adjuncts to written journalism. Her photos “
concept was a photo-essay on who the workers were; as opposed to what the workers do. Rebecca had met a woman who worked at the Piedmont stables. They talked about this concept and it was arranged for Rebecca to start photographing workers in and around the stables. She met and spoke with the owners a number of times; conversations that led to discussions of their relationship with their horses. This led Rebecca down the path of exploring her own emerging relationship with these same horses. She went back time and time again. Sometimes she photographed. Sometimes she did not. Gradually she developed a sense of how the horses wanted to be photographed. This led to images of details of the horses; images that became, in the end, quite abstract. A series that started as a photo essay about workers became instead a series about equine nature.
channel, Rebecca detoured for some years into finance. Eventually, she decided that she needed a more creative job. She studied graphic design, becoming credentialed. Photographic elements of graphic art were particularly appealing to her, with that leading her to seriously study photography. In the images of the kettles, one can clearly see the influences of her graphic arts background. More subtly, when you view the work in a series, you can also see a distinct rhythm in the works. Here is the influence of her musical interests. In fact, this is why she named the series “Studies in K”, after the concept of musical studies: “etudes”. 
Well, I outlined my traditional strategy last week, and it is unchanged: I go to the 
This is the largest of the Friday Night opening receptions with over 50 artists exhibiting. If there is only one opening reception that you are going to on Friday Night, this would be the choice. I am particularly enamored of the Nocturnes who have collectively been producing amazing photography for over a decade. The founder, 
I am then heading across town to check out some of my favorite artists. The featured artist are: 
This is the two day celebration of the Grand Opening of Southern Exposure’s new home; their 35th Anniversary, and their inaugural exhibition , Bellwether. Friday night and most of Saturday, it’s a block party. I am planning to be there. You should too. Time to pony up and join Soex. They are apparently selling memberships at the door for their member reception, so that is my plan. It is a great organization in a great new space!
This is the party that I look most forward too! Over the years I have seen some astonishing installation works here. There’s going to be music, theater, and some of the most original Day of The Dead art that you will ever see by a huge range of artists. Participants include: Patricia A. Montgomery, Elizabeth Addison, Dena Al-Adeeb, Susana Aragon, Adrian Arias, Azul Arias-Aragon, Mara Barenbaum, Jesus Barraza, Virginia Benavidez, Nathaniel Bolton, Nic Bucchi (AKA Flynt, )Carla Caletti, Melanie Cervantes, Deborah Cohen, Alicia Cruz-Hunt, Rick Darnell, Lucinda DeNatale, Kathy DeRosas, Lanell Dike, Annamarta Dostourian, Candi Farlice, Gisela Feid, Juliet Flower MacCannell, deCoy Gallerina, Santiago Gervasi, Francisco Gomez, CJ Grossman, Peter Gurein, Bjorn Heinbach, Rosa Hernandez, Carol J. Stewart, Melinda Johson, Caylly Jones, Fredda Kaplan-Robles, Gina Lim, Philip Long, Ytaelena Lopez, Dean MacCannell, Yoli Manzo, Jeff Marshall, Cris Matos, Susan Matthews, David Molina, Steve Molina (AKA Stix), Fernando Montiel, Mary Molly Mullaney, Carla Oden, Aydasara Ortega, Cassandra Parshall, Txutxo Perez, Audra Ponce, Brenda Rasmussen, Renaldo Ratto, Denise Richards, Russell Robles, Veronica Rojas, Michael Roman, Jeff Roysdon, Enrique Salazar, Nick Salazar, Jos Sances, Nicole Schach, Valerie Schlafke, Shizue Seigel, Malik Seneferu, Julie Slinger, Rosario Sotelo, Ilona Sturm, David Tafolla, Lia Tealdi-Heinbach, Cynthia Tom, Elka Vera, Ellen Vogel, Marcy Voyevod, Alain Waeber, Wilton Woods, Rio Yañez, Rene Yañez, Victor Mario Zaballa. Admission is on a sliding scale.
I plan to start Sunday with a visit to California Studios. I have not been there before, but there are eight artists showing. The featured artists are: 
I have been familiar with 
Area businesses, such as Café Trieste in San Francisco and the Peet’s Coffee corporate headquarters in Emeryville. The murals were lovely, Italianesque paintings. The work was very accessible. Leo laid out the backbone structure of the painting, doing most of the design and drawing. Jennifer, with her natural affinity for color and texture, added those elements to the paintings, finishing the works.
person in her art. Before he passed away, her work had not been particularly personal. It was skilled work, but in some ways it was more in the tradition of European craftsmanship. It definitely did not evoke the French romanticists or the American luminists. After her father passed away, the work became intensely personal. It was a stunning transformation. 
spirit; and she did not want to let that go. So, she began crafting and incorporating the papers into sculptural forms. The forms, almost with a will of their own, took shape and morphed into boats – 
You can see Jennifer Ewing’s work this weekend in San Francisco Open Studios. Her work is featured at the 
With over 300 studios to choose from this weekend, everyone is asking “So Mike, where are you going?” 
Next up: Fabric8. This is another one of the boutique/gallery spaces. Here the emphasis is definitely on younger artists with a Manga sensibility. The emphasis is also on “gallery”. Since opening their back space, the gallery exhibition space here is really impressive. Fabric8 is hosting the open studio for UrsulaX and her 
These are another two of my local neighborhood artists. I have seen their work at City Art Gallery, Artist X-Change and Secession Art & Design, but I have never been to their studios. I am guessing that this is their home, so it really harkens back to the original spirit of San Francisco Open Studios, when the artists who created the event, largely were showing in live-work spaces. The work on the left is by Hilary Williams. The work on the right is by dk haas. About this time, I should be thirsty. Rumour has it that the wine will be flowing, so I am going to see if that is true.
If you can only go to one party all night, this is the one! 
Every year, I start my SF Open Studios adventure here. Why? Because this is “ground zero” for San Francisco Open Studios. This is, as they put it, the pioneering artist live-work space in San Francisco. A number of the original Open Studios founding artists lived at Artaud when SF Open Studios started 34 years ago. I come in through the Alabama Street entrance and walk into the courtyard studio of Pico Sanchez, “
From Artaud, I am going to start following the footsteps on the sidewalk and street to the other 
The last major group site (whoa – think I need some caffeine!) is going to be WorkSpace Limited. This is a major site with more than 50 artists, many of them participating in SF Open Studios. This is one of my “don’t miss” studios every year. This year, I have circled 
And finally, my personal favorite – the fabulous live-work space of Silvia Poloto. It is an oasis for a tired art trekker. Who would ever guess that a studio this fabulous lurked behind the industrial facades of Shotwell Street. And the art? Oh my. I profiled Silvia on SF Art News earlier this year in an article that I titled “
I have known Alan for years. As usual, he will be exhibiting at the Garage Gallery on Weekend Three. Here, however, is a rare opportunity to see his actual, real studio in Bernal Heights. And since this is my stomping ground, I will be stopping by.
Another Bernal Heights artist – I am not really familiar with her work. Just liked her image in the catalogue. I am a sucker for collage.
I have always been partial to Samboun’s work. Plus, once again, the home studio is spitting distance from my house. And, to some extent, the original idea of Open Studios was to open real working studios to the public. San Francisco Open Studios is dominated by the large group sites and I love visiting them. But I also love to visit the home studios right in my neighborhood. And, that is what Sunday will be largely dedicated too. I have not decided what other studios I will visit on Sunday. And, I may visit some smaller group sites too. But, I am definitely largely reserving Sunday to Bernal Heights, Glen Park and Noe Valley – as many artists as I can fit in.
I recently met with 
will be fascinating for me, personally, to see how this residency resonates in David’s future work. Will his work become even more precise; or will we start to see some more “accidentally on purpose” elements surface? Time will tell.
How can one live as full-time artist? It’s a question many of us have, as we graduate from art school and seek opportunities that enable us to continue to create art. Many of us end up working full-time jobs and after a few years, it’s daunting to venture beyond the safety net of steady income and benefits. It is true that most artists will not become spectacularly wealthy or famous. Luckily, many do find a way, through drive and determination, to have deeply fulfilling lives.
To further satisfy her craving for fire and metal, she worked as a teaching assistant at City College and as a welder in a metal fabrication shop. After several years at City College, Fox moved initially to Hunter’s Point Shipyard and then, two years ago, relocated to Islais Creek Studios. Nowadays she is a successful entrepreneur with a chandelier cleaning business. It is a self-owned business that allows ample time in her studio. 
Fox does not sketch out her designs. She begins intuitively by pulling out scrap metal from her large collection, then arranging them on the floor or holding them up together. Once she is satisfied with her composition, she welds her sculpture, taking pride in hiding the welds so the attachments are not obvious to the viewer. She enjoys creating pieces that give the illusion of metal floating in air. Once the pieces are put together, Fox decides how they will be finished – whether surfaces will be left plain, marked with patterns or patinaed. . 
Hearts
When I met with 
When Dimitri moved to the Bay Area in the mid-90’s, he went to work for a large technology firm. Once again, the ubiquitous drawing classes popped up across the street. Once again, Dimitri took those classes. He got an actual art studio in 1998 and participated in his first Open Studios that year. In 2001, he re-located his studio to Hunters Point, where he maintains a studio today. With some early success, Dimitri decided to craft a business plan – a five-year plan to transition full-time to being an artist. He took workshops with Cay Lang, who founded 
About this time, Dimitri was thrown a curve. It was 2001 and Dot.com busted. Caught in the wake of that bust, Dimitri lost his technology job. That was when he decided to turn his five-year plan into a one-year plan instead. He began marketing his work to galleries, eventually showing his paintings in over 20 different galleries nationally. He joined the 
It is interesting to track the development of Dimitri’s work over the past ten years. His early works were, not surprisingly, mostly charcoal drawings. This was, doubtless, a natural outgrowth of his formal training. He was heavily influenced by Leonardo Da Vinci in general, and Da Vinci’s drawings in particular. When he was living and studying in London, he had the opportunity to see a series of drawings of horses that Da VInci made as studies for statues. These works had a profound and lasting impact.
