The two paintings above are part of a group of five new San Francisco street scenes based on images gathered on my many trips to the Bay. Please click on either one to see the others on my WORK page.
I first went through the area in the summer of 1971 while heading back east to attend RISD after backpacking and hitchhiking on a summer trip through the west. I was on my way to catch a freight train in Portland and enjoyed a week or so admiring the Bay area's unique cities, scenery and topography. More recently I had the privilege of sailing in and out of the Bay on million barrel supertankers while serving as a federal court appointed monitor. Standing on the roof of the pilothouse inbound under the Golden Gate Bridge lit by a full moon as an outbound containership passes close by creates a whole new perspective.
I have friends and relatives scattered around the Bay and the eleven hour drive from my home base in Portland is a frequent choice for a road trip to the relatively exotic variety of fun to be found there. Walking, riding and driving the streets of San Francisco, Oakland, Benicia and Berkeley always adds to my trove of memorable images and experiences. There is something special and well recognized about this part of California that is characterized by its own kind of golden light. The multi-ethnic street life and food choices available at all hours are set against a backdrop of visits to friends at start-up tech firms in the city and at the big shops in the Valley. It all makes my stays in the Tenderloin, Noe Valley and the Oakland hills as interesting and intense as my New York visits. I've got my habits and routines worked out now, which helps with navigation and getting the most out of these trips, so stay tuned for more paintings from them as time goes on...
13 of my paintings are on display in a group show at the William Rolland Gallery in Thousand Oaks, CA (extended through October 2nd) The Beautiful: Contemporary Images of America
My wonderful gallery representation: LewAllen Galleries, Santa Fe, NM
And as always, you can also contact me directly by email: info@sethtane.com and follow my occasional photo posts on: Instagram