Art is Everywhere in San Francisco

Art is absolutely everywhere. You just have to look for it! I thought I'd share some recent photos from San Francisco with that thought in mind.

First up, a literal art exhibit.  These beautiful bowls and pots were on display at the San Francisco Airport.  Believe it or not, the San Francisco airport has a highly curated collection of constantly changing exhibits in every single terminal.  I was lucky enough to catch A Potter's Life: Marguerite Wildenhain at Pond Farm.  Here is a small sampling -- I mostly took photos of the bowls and pots with faces because...well, I love faces!

Next up, how about culinary art?  

This comes in two forms: the first is decor art like this beautiful chalkboard signage:

And the second is all the beauty of the actual food.  I follow a number of talented bakers online who decorate exquisite pastries.  That is an impressive art.

However artistic inspiration from food isn't limited to sweets.  They say that you eat with your eyes before you put any of it in your mouth.  If you watch any Food Network shows you know that the judges care about plating -- i.e. the visual impact of the food.

I am often inspired by the colors in the food I eat.  Take for instance the salad above -- a little bit of green with some red and yellow plus a bit of white and then a tiny dash of purple.

Next up: shopping.  I love cruising the aisles at all kinds of shops.  So many gorgeous illustration, inspiring patterns, and thoughtful arrangements.

Not to mention, a few quotes for your art journal.  ;)

Art can be found in the most unexpected places too.  This is a bathroom wall...closer and closer:

The heads above are from a shop window.  Window display designers are creative and bold because they need to get you to stop and look!

And of course, there are shop and restaurant facades to drool over....

I found these keys and lock benches hidden away in an alley:

One of the odd things I do when touristing is peep down all the side streets.  I think that's how you find the best stuff -- off the beaten path.

Architecture is art, of course.  And different towns have lots to offer in terms of visual interest and inspiration.  San Francisco also has lots of murals, which I love and adore.

I think street art is fascinating and I love stumbling across it everywhere!

I hope you can see that you can find art absolutely everywhere -- not just in museums.  But what do you do with that information?  

Here are some things I do when I'm out and about:

• Photograph color combos that interest me.
• Photograph patterns, motifs, texture, or icons that excite me.
• Photograph design that resonates.

When I get home I look at all of that visual information and I make a few notes in my notebook.  Essentially, I'm translating those photos into a personal reference through my Julie-filter.  Later -- and it might be months or years later -- when I'm stuck or looking for inspiration, I don't go back to the original images. Instead, I poke through my notebook to find some ideas.  It's a super easy way to completely avoid creative block.  I hope you'll give it a try!

Thanks for stopping by!